Teaching Our Future Heroes

In honor of National Community College Month, we are publishing the personal reflections of our faculty.  These reflections focus upon the general topic “This I believe about the mission and value of community colleges today,” and offer thoughts about teaching and learning.

This reflection comes from Dr. Cynthia De Riemer, Professor of Communication Studies.

I teach communication courses, which are either required courses for many of our majors or an elective.  Over my years at JSRCC, I have listened to many student speeches and presentations.  These speeches reveal much about  the goals and aspirations of the student speakers.  As I listen, I have been especially struck by the critical roles our JSRCC students will fulfill in our community.   The following is a representative but not comprehensive list of what I mean:

·         I have taught future firefighters and EMTs who may one day rescue one of us from a burning building or rush us to hospitals for emergency care;

·         I have taught many students seeking careers as nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians and aides who will be on the frontline of administering medical care and treatment.  We will literally trust them with our lives and well being.

·         I have taught future teachers and child care providers who will come to know that a teacher’s influence only stops at eternity.  We will entrust our children’s welfare to these professionals.

·         I have taught police officers and security personnel working in local, state and federal positions.  We will depend on their courage, sound judgment and competency in times of crisis.

·         I have taught those seeking careers as social workers and counselors.  These students will offer assistance to those facing possibly the darkest days of their lives.

My list could go on and on—to the future entrepreneurs who will dream up new businesses and services for our community to the automotive technicians who make our cars run safely and efficiently.  I am reminded daily what a privilege, honor and special responsibility I have in nurturing, guiding and educating our students.  They will give our community so much more than we could ever estimate or predict.

--Cynthia De Riemer

Professor of Communication Studies