What is Learning?

Learning is the process of gaining knowledge by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing something. Throughout my time at the University of Oklahoma, I learned a lot. I learned how to innovate my thinking, spread my message, and touch the lives of others. I learned from the best, but will my spirit of learning end at the University of Oklahoma? No. The spirit of learning is a lasting frontier. Life after my time at OU will consist of constant learning.

I learned to innovate my thinking.

I came to the University of Oklahoma from a rural town in Southern Oklahoma. Madill Public Schools equipped me with critical foundations used for learning. Once at OU, my learning was quickly challenged.

In the classroom, the curriculum was challenging. The material was tough, and it often times made me dazed and confused. Also, the atmosphere in the classroom was challenging. I learned from day one I was a small fish in a big pond. My journey to success in the classroom took time. It took hard work and determination, but in the end, I made it. My spirit of learning lived on.

On campus, I was challenged with a culture shock. I had never been around a plethora of religions and ethnicities. I was out of my comfort zone. Throughout my time on campus, I met people of all races and religious backgrounds. I was often times faced with adversity. My beliefs did not always match us to the people whom I surround myself with on campus. However, they helped make my transition to campus life a success.

I learned how to spread my message.

I started out being a little fish in a big pond, until I learned how to swim. My brain was engulfed with a large variety of ideas, but I did not know how to spread my message. I did not have a voice I felt comfortable using.

The moment I met my Community Engagement Lab professor, Dr. Joy Pendley, I knew my college experience would change. Her class was all about giving back to the community. It was the place where I found my voice. In her class, we learned how to conduct surveys, and I learned a new teaching method called CBPAR (Community Based Participatory Action Research). This method allows the community to have the reigns in your research. This method changed my whole philosophy.

Dr. Pendley equipped me with the skills needed to conduct research. Through research, I learned I had a voice. I have a voice for the people who cannot speak. I have a voice I can use to change the world for the better.

Thank you, Dr. Pendley. You helped me find my voice.

I learned how to touch the lives of others.

Changing the world is hard, but I found I can change the world through education, and education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.

Dr. Kristy Brugar and Dr. Neil Houser opened my eyes to the field of education. Through this field, I can touch the lives of future generations. I can help shape the future of society. Through my classes with Dr. Houser and Dr. Brugar, I developed a teaching philosophy. This philosophy is ever-changing, but I know it will help me to empower my future students.

My philosophy of education is: 'I hope to enable my students to be critical, independent, and global thinkers in a diverse community where they engage in their civil duties as members of an inclusive society.'

I learned from the best.

Dr. Kristy Brugar, Professor Sarah Clayton, Dr. Neil Houser, Dr. Joy Pendley, and Dr. David Wrobel changed my life. Their commitments to education touched my life in a way I cannot explain.

I was always told college professors are just a bunch of liberals. I would love to say this is false, but at the University of Oklahoma, it is for the most part true. However, my professors are more than just a bunch of liberals. They are critical thinkers who value diversity, and they have commitments to the advancement of society. They see the good in all of their students.

For me, each and every professor I listed has touched my life in a way I never could have imagined.

• My College of Education professors, Dr. Brugar and Dr. Houser, gave me the tools to empower future generations. They taught me how to think critically, value diversity, become globally informed, and gave me the confidence I needed to become the best educator I can be.

• My Political Science professor, Dr. Pendley, equipped me with the skills to help make the world a better place. She taught me compassion for humanity through experiences I will never forget. She made me fall in love with research. I am forever grateful for her impact on me to serve the community and give back to the world.

• My History professors, Dr. Wrobel and Professor Clayton, gave me the confidence to help shape the future of society. I learned through Dr. Wrobel and Professor Clayton that from time to time, life will be challenging with roadblocks in the way, but you can still do what you set your mind to do. They made me value history in a way I first thought unthinkable.

This article is dedicated to Dr. Kristy Brugar, Professor Sarah Clayton, Dr. Neil Houser, Dr. Joy Pendley, and Dr. David Wrobel.

Thank you for all you do, professors. You are my mentors. You are my friends.