orange ferrets and higher education
You might be wondering how orange ferrets relate to higher education.
Or, maybe you're like me, wondering if orange ferrets exist.
Honestly, I still have no clue, even after six years of pondering.
Once upon a time, I received this photo from a professor. To be precise, it was exactly six years ago, during finals week my junior year of college.
I remember that I was debating with my roommate whether or not orange ferrets exist, but we have no clue what prompted that discussion. Ahh, the joys of being a sleep-deprived college student.
What I did not expect was to randomly receive a photo from a professor of an orange ferret.
What makes this story even better is that we spent the next two days emailing back and forth images of weirdly colored animals, including a purple elephant, an orange + blue hippo, a purple + green rabbit, and a blue tiger, to name a few.
Oh, and I still have this email thread, because that's not the sort of email you delete!
Anyway, it was in that moment that I knew this woman was more than a professor: she was also a mentor and friend.
As I've been applying for doctoral programs, I spent substantial time reflecting on why exactly I want to pursue a career in higher education during such a rocky time. And the answer is this: I was so impacted by the professors who came alongside me that I want to give back and mentor the next generation(s) of scholars.
The more that I study growth mindset for my thesis, the more that I recognize the power of a single person who believes in their students, walks in tandem with them for a period of time, and then sends them off with self-confidence and practical skills to continue growing, even in the face of difficulty.
Because I found those people when I was an undergrad, I was able to persevere through difficult seasons until I found my calling in higher education.
Now, it's my turn. I have an incredible, unique background in quantitative research and neuroscience that will be useful for conducting higher education research, understanding theories of learning/cognition, and advocating for policy that promotes effective learning environments.
I was right about this former professor. Our relationship strengthened over the next year and a half until I graduated, and now she is still one of my favorite people and dearest friends. I love catching up over coffee, talking cool research things in each of our worlds, and dreaming about the future together.
This is a short, sappy, reflective post to say: you never know how you might support and encourage the people around you, even if it's an act as simple as sending a photo of a strangely colored animal to someone who would appreciate an opportunity to smile.
