I was speaking to my good friend recently, professor Andrew Curran Wesleyan university faculty member and a real inspiration to those who know him and work with him. I have known Andrew for many years now, we actually grew up not too far from each other in Connecticut, in New Haven and Hartford respectively, and he has always been a fascinating character. I caught up with Andrew recently to talk about why he chose to work in education and why, in a world full of complaint about the education system, he believes that a university still forms a cornerstone to the future of young men and women.
Why He Chose Education
Andrew tells me that the reason why he chose a career within education was that he had become slightly disgruntled at the current system, and the best retaliation that he could come up with was to improve it from the inside. Andrew was always an idealist and as soon as he completed high school he knew that his path would lead him into a college campus, where he would be able to educate in the way that he thought was best.
Shaping the Future
Andrew also spoke to me about some kids which he grew up with who were not given the opportunity to shine like he knew that they could, and it became his mission to make sure that kids just like those would grow up with a voice, and with someone vouching for them. This is why Andrew not only is a professor, but also very active in the community working with kids who were not given the best chances or opportunities in life, to make sure that he can do something to reverse their situation. Andrew tells me that for him education was not just about learning from books, but learning how to be better people on the whole.
Ever Changing Environment
Andrew works specifically in law, but he is all too aware of how quickly things can change, something which he relishes. For example the idea of a lawsuit when we were in college was something that only happened between businesses, whereas now we live in a world were anybody can bring a lawsuit against someone, regardless of who they are. The young law students need to adapt and so too do professors like Andrew. He tells me that prior to going into education, this was one aspect of it that he really loved, the ever-changing landscape and the need to adapt.
Rewarding
Finally Andrew spoke tome at length about the rewarding nature of a job such as this, especially when he sees one of his students achieve something great. He told me that watching a student turn into a responsible adult and someone with a great amount of self belief, is the most rewarding aspect of the job and it is this feature the career which drew him to it in the first place.
Do you have desires to go into education? Has this inspired you?
