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TEACHER’S APPRENTICE FOR THE PRESIDENT!
As I get insanely close to my graduation date, I wonder where all the time went. Like a great majority of people, I mistakenly thought I had all the time in the world to prepare for my future. It came as a huge revelation during the fall semester of my junior year that I was far more behind than I originally anticipated. I quickly became overwhelmed with the never-ending list of things that still needed to be done. Taking time to speak to faculty members whom I trusted, I learned that perhaps one of my most important tasks should be building connections with people who could push me in the right direction.
Luckily, I had already taken a huge step in becoming a FOCUS Leader during the 2021 Orientation season. That decision was undoubtedly one of the best I’ve made during my time here at Stetson.
As a FOCUS Leader, I developed the confidence — not only in myself, but in my skills and what I had to offer to others — to be proactive in my own future. Through FOCUS, I learned to lead the charge for myself. I stopped waiting for opportunities to approach me and, instead, I actively sought them out myself.
When the 2022 Orientation began last fall, I received my assignment to be part of FSEM, Stetson’s First Year Seminar program. Part of being a FOCUS Leader is to participate in such a class.
BY QUIYARA MURPHY ’23
FSEM represents the first class on cam- pus for first-year students. It’s their initial classroom Stetson Student Experience, making the FSEM especially important. Basically, they learn what it takes to be successful in college, both as a student and as a person.
I couldn’t believe that I’d been assigned to the FSEM taught by our university president, Christopher F. Roellke, PhD. I wondered if it had been a mistake. My questions were eventually answered when I asked President Roellke directly.
In addition to FOCUS, I have a ton of other responsibilities on campus, including my job in the Carlton Union Building. One morning, as I was sitting at the desk in front of the CUB’s coffee shop, President Roellke walked in. I called him over and introduced myself (an example of me seeking out my own opportunities). I remember that very first conversation. I asked him if he was teaching an FSEM that semester. He said, yes, and we talked. He told me he was a little nervous as it had been a few years since he taught a class, and it was longer since he taught first-year students.
The door was wide open! I didn’t even need to knock, just walk in. So, that’s what I did. “Do you need a TA for the class?” That was all I needed to ask, and the position was mine. Amazing! I had never been a Teacher’s Apprentice before, so I had no idea what went into that role. But I was eager to learn.
Over the next week, I held my daily FOCUS meetings and began to build relationships with the students in the class. In a departure from previous patterns, I didn’t have to say goodbye to my first-year family members — affectionately dubbed “guppies.” I could now spend the next three months learning alongside 16 of them in their first-ever real college class.
Their class was called “American Higher Education: Policy and Practice.” We learned about everything that goes into the efficient running of a university and how it’s truly dependent on the success of its students, faculty and staff. Topics ranged from effective leadership, community/ alumni engagement, finance and Title IX (gender-based discrimination) to Greek life, athletics, academic freedom and civil discourse. Also, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet a few members of the Stetson University Board of Trustees, as well as then-DeLand Mayor Robert Apgar and Jules Coleman, PhD, a former Yale professor and Provost at New York University.
President Roellke began every class with one of his original dad jokes, which he disguised as “true stories.” It was so refreshing to walk in the class and forget about everything going on outside of those four walls. President Roellke wasn’t intimidating or scary. In fact, he welcomed students and encouraged them to stop and have a conversation with him. His generosity of time and caring was never-ending.
On the second day of class, he walked the entire class to Pat & Toni’s Sweet Things shop near campus and bought us all (and even some people in line) $2 scoops of ice cream. We even had the chance to tour his home and learn the intriguing history of 418 N. Woodland Blvd., across the street from campus.
I’ve always said that President Roellke gave me too much credit for being his Teacher’s Apprentice. But, in all honesty, I don’t think I have ever given him enough credit. I had such a great time in the class, and I formed a relationship with the president of the university!
Had he not been so warm and receptive to me, I would not have been able to make this happen.
President Roellke has always told students that “we were partners.” He surely treated me that way. I’m thankful to him for everything he taught me. I’m also grateful for the relationships I built with the students. Even with graduation only a short time away, I learned just as much from those first-year students as they did from me — if not more.
Quiyara Murphy ’23 is a health sciences major with a minor in psychology. She is a member of the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society. In addition, Murphy (also pictured on the magazine cover) is another of Stetson’s first-generation students. First Gen coverage begins on Page 30.
THE PRESIDENT’S FSEM EXPERIENCE
Teaching the FSEM last fall on the politics and practice of American higher education was catalytic for me as Stetson’s president. I learned as much from my wonderful students as I hope they may have learned from me.
Though not explicitly part of the syllabus, I wanted this course to provide an opportunity for me to get to know our incoming students fully. I wanted to understand how they had navigated the throes of the global pandemic and what impact those experiences have had on their learning, their goals and their ambitions. I also wanted, very much, to enable these 16 students to "see under the hood" a bit on how Stetson works, to understand and access the ample resources that are available to them, and perhaps even create a group of new ambassadors for our beloved university.
In short, I had a blast, and I think the students did too!
