A Student’s Story: A celebration of the student-faculty bond
In this guest post, senior communication student Alyssa Johnson '20 shares a meaningful difference a College of Liberal Arts faculty member made in her life.
Editor’s Note: In the College of Liberal Arts, we celebrate the meaningful connections made everyday between our students and faculty, and the collaboration that contributes to the success of all.
This guest post is authored by senior communication student Alyssa Johnson ’20 and shares a meaningful difference a College of Liberal Arts faculty member made in her life. Join her in celebrating the life-impacting experience created by one of her professors, Charles Conrad.
If you have a similar story you would like to share and possibly have featured of a faculty member’s positive impact, please email alixpoth@tamu.edu.
By Alyssa Johnson ’20
It takes a special type of person to dedicate countless hours and to shape future leaders. Charles Conrad, professor and honors program director for Texas A&M University’s Department of Communication, is a true inspiration to every student who enters his classroom.
He commits every ounce of his time to give students the support they need to succeed, and his passion and enthusiasm are unmatched. His door is always open to his current and former students. He strives and succeeds to ensure that each student’s opinion is valued and respected.
He makes it a point to remember his students’ fields of interest and is known for sending them articles relevant to their interests and career aspirations. He has emailed articles to me that focus on counterintelligence and counterterrorism because he remembered my select field of interest. He masters his students’ nonverbal cues and idiosyncrasies so that he can enhance his understanding about how each student uniquely operates and thinks.
A fellow classmate, Beatriz Raroque, senior communication major, had this to say about Professor Conrad: “Professor Conrad has a talent for finding potential in his students and pushing them to succeed. With his mentorship and support, I was able to get on the Dean’s List for the first time since I started college, a feat I never thought was possible for me. He is one of the best professors and leaders I’ve ever had, and I am thrilled to have found a lifelong mentor in him.”
He made it a priority to honor and celebrate two of his students who became U.S. citizens, Raroque being one of them. They were moved to tears when they were surprised with customized, patriotic cakes. Professor Conrad is a shining example of the students’ professor. His focus and priority will always be placing his students and their success above himself.
During my time at Texas A&M, my education has reached new heights through the tools that I have acquired. I have been given this wonderful opportunity to be a part of a college and a department that gives its undergraduates the means to succeed by employing professors like Professor Conrad. I have gained not only a professor who brings out the best in me or helps me to succeed academically, but I have gained an invaluable link and support system in my network that I can rely on for years following graduation.