The semester has come to the finish line. Papers graded. Presentations conducted. Students celebrating the start of their summer, where others are venturing off to graduation and starting their next chapter in their lives.
This semester (and academic year!) has been a whirlwind of excitement, adventures, and new lessons learned. This also marks the 10th year I have been teaching at the University of Louisville. It is truly amazing because it really feels like I arrived just yesterday!
There have been a lot of takeaways from this academic year I would love to share with you all:
Hard work pays off. I tell this to everyone around me in academia, industry, and even with my students. If you are willing to take the time to focus on your craft, work towards your goals, and make sure you are able to provide value to others – the world opens up numerous opportunities.
I bring this up because this year has been the busiest for me (not just for class work and projects) – but media interviews. As professors know, one of the things we are evaluated on is our reputation for our work, and our expertise in the subject area we are in. It’s important to invest in this area as well in our work as professors and educators.
Experimentation is always good to update coursework. I did that a bit this year with some of the assignments I offered in my social media classes. Overall, they worked out really well – which I am really happy about. The key is to look at the industry, see what is happening, and ask yourself – how can I bring this into the class as a teachable moment that ties in marketable skills and the concepts I want to cover?
The combination of all of these elements together makes a dynamic assignment and exercise that has life BEYOND the classroom. That’s the key aspect I think is SO important to know. You never want to assign a piece of work for class that does not have life beyond the classroom. What I mean is to make sure you tell the student how this paper, presentation, project, etc can offer value once this class has finished.
Seeing your students succeed outside of the classroom never gets old. I love to hear students have gotten an internship or job based on what they learned in class. For the 8th year in a row, I have students who are going to be part of the social media team at the Kentucky Derby, and several are starting their new roles in the industry. This is what it is all about!
Class client work that makes an impact. This year we have had a chance to work with some incredible brands such as Brown-Forman, Sun Tan City, and Louisville Bats. These projects have been super fun and rewarding for my students, and for me as a professor. I am very excited about what is in store for next year!
Relationships matter. Building them off or online is so important – and what a great way to share this with students. I know I am never going to top the class I had this term where I was able to bring Ryan Reynolds to class (seriously?!!!) – and it’s important to show students how social media can do this. I am again forever grateful to Ryan for taking the time to chat with my students. Everyone is still talking about it today – and I know will continue to do so for years to come.
A new chapter?!: Yep, there is a new chapter for me starting in July. Okay, you might be thinking:
OMG, Karen! What are you doing and what is going on?!!
Relax, it is all good! Yes, there is going to be a new and exciting next chapter for me in my role as a professor. This has been something I have envisioned and talked about for YEARS. It is a role here at UofL that will allow me to expand my work even more in what I am doing now (I will still be teaching), but even at a bigger and more impactful scale. Everything I have been doing now has been leading to this. Plus, it will also allow me to continue to build something unique, special, and innovative to change the game in our profession. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I am ready for the challenge.
I am extremely excited about this. Do not worry, I will share more about this later this summer.
Wishing everyone the very best for their finals and have a great day!
Best Wishes,
