COLLIN COLLEGE

Passing the Torch:

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION BEGINS IN THE CLASSROOM

by Heather Darrow

When Samiul Haque registered for a class his friend recommended, he had no idea that his whole educational trajectory would change. He was pursuing a degree in biology, and the introduction to sociology class was just an elective – at least initially.

“From day one I was hooked,” Samiul said. “Professor Pam Gaiter encouraged camaraderie and made it a comfortable environment. It was so refreshing.”

Samiul said he didn’t know anything about sociology before taking the class, but he couldn’t wait to learn more. When he gave an immigration presentation, he was astounded by a classmate’s comment.

“One student said, ‘If you were a professor, I would take your class.’ That was really the moment that changed things up for me,” said Samiul, who since taking the class has earned an Associate of Arts, cum laude, from Collin College and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, summa cum laude, from The University of Texas at Dallas. He is on track to earn a Master of Science Degree in Applied Sociology from UTD this spring and ultimately plans to earn a Ph.D. in Sociology.

“The education at Collin is second to none,” Samiul said. “It has the gold standard of faculty and staff. The classes are small, so I received a lot of one-on-one time with professors. I was the most vocal one in my sociology classes at UTD because of my time at Collin.”

Samiul’s first sociology class included the opportunity for service learning, a program which engages students in experiential learning through service opportunities that benefit the community. With a full-time job, he didn’t think he had time to volunteer. However, when his classmates shared experiences about tutoring elementary school students, he changed his mind.

“I didn’t want to miss out, so I did it in Professor Gaiter’s Social Problems class,” he said. “It is humbling and rewarding to give back to the community and apply sociology to real world solutions.”

In this course he and his fellow students presented topics to the class nearly every week.

“I gave a presentation on arranged marriage, and I received great feedback from my peers,” Samiul said. “I walked to Professor Gaiter’s office and told her that the classroom is where I want to be. When I told her that I wanted to go into academia, she gave me the biggest smile and said, ‘Well let’s make it happen.’ ”

Samiul learned firsthand that one class could change your life. When he graduated with his bachelor’s degree, he was given a stole of gratitude, and he immediately knew who to give it to.

“I thought about who had an impact on me and my education. It was a no-brainer – Professor Gaiter, the person who inspired me to study sociology. I wanted her to know how much she meant to me, how I found so much joy in academia and since then how it has been my greatest academic and professional aspiration to one day follow in her footsteps. I wanted her to know that believing not just in me but in all her students really does make a difference.” •