I took an unfortunate detour. In 1997, I graduated with honors from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing degree. After coming to the heartbreaking conclusion that our economy does not pay poets very well, I worked a host of odd jobs, and finally settled on banking because the hours were good. Yes, my career for the next 8-9 years was originally based on hours of operation coordinating with those of the daycare my son attended, and thus, begins my ten year detour as a banker.
Participating in varying degrees of the financial world was de rigueur for my upcoming decade. I am both proud and ashamed that throughout my fiscal foray, I never once considered myself a “banker.” When the days grew long on the teller line, I turned to jotting down poetic musings on the back of credit/debit tickets. When the people could no longer be approved for loans, I wrote short stories on the back of apps to pass the time in loan processing. And, when the housing market crumbled, I wrote my MBA Operations Management instructor a fairy tale. After all, I was in the mortgage servicing department at that time, and soon I was going to find myself filling out an unemployment application. Sadly, I was out of creative juice by the time that piece of writing arrived.
My years of unemployment were not a waste. I forged a new attitude about circumstances beyond my control. Instead of letting the hopelessness drive me, I drove straight ahead with my MBA, and completed it within 18 months. In December of 2008, I was rejoicing (perhaps wallowing) in my graduation. I was completely unaware how bitterly cold the first half of 2009 was going to be.
After so many rejection letters and emails, a person has a way of becoming a walking sinkhole of desperation, depression, and despair. There were weeks when my days consisted of getting up, sending resumes, checking email, and promptly going back to bed. During this time, I found that my first love (writing) had never left my side. No longer was it “necessary” to read only textbooks and regurgitate material in coma-inducing APA format term papers. Instead, I re-devoured my favorite authors like Garrison Keillor and Sharon Olds. Also, I discovered Anthony Bourdain’s brand of writing and commentating that year. Somewhere in early summer, I had mentally and emotionally cut ties with the financial world – I no longer belonged there. And, in September, I would receive a phone call that would fully confirm my “no more banking” state of mind.
Being called for an interview at that time was the equivalent to winning the lottery. Although, I had never heard of Harrison College, I was excited and terrified to interview with them. In addition, when the Dean asked me if I’d be interested in teaching English classes, I nearly burst into bubbles of joy. At last, someone recognized the “real” Emily hiding behind the banker’s suit. The interview process itself went very quickly, and to my happy terror, I left with a stack of textbooks and was told I would start teaching on Monday. This interview/textbook collection occurred on Wednesday! Trying not to throw up on my students, that Monday went down in my personal history book as one of those life altering events, and I never looked back.
I have spent the last two years teaching a variety of classes to a variety of students. Currently, I am titled as a General Education Instructor; and, while it’s true I do not have a specialty, I am honored and thankful to be teaching the subjects I love. Teaching different levels of composition, presentation skills, and psychology, have allowed me to gain an insight that is at the same time powerful and disconcerting. I feel that I have been able to inspire and motivate students within the communication disciplines due to my own years of being a student, and feeling the same mix of angst and triumph.
In the near future, I envision an even stronger position. Through this Master degree, and subsequent PhD, I expect to achieve a solid footing in the English/Communication classroom. Also, not only will this higher education enhance my current creative writing abilities, but I will then be able to translate that into future classrooms as well. This degree will aid me in getting my students to seek their inner authors, and the same time, allow me to remember that every detour can lead to a great story.
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