In his book Living, Loving & Learning, Dr. Leo Buscaglia (1990) writes, “Education is from the Latin 'educare' which means to lead, to guide, and that's what it should be. There's a table full of wonder. Education is the process of leading people to it” (p. 54). According to Campbell and Campbell (1997), many American universities are trying to lead underrepresented groups in society to learning. The gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and intersexual (GLBTI) community is one group of students to which Campbell and Campbell may be referring. As a member of the GLBTI community, I recently had the opportunity to be led to learning by Dr. Kandi Walker, assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Louisville. Dr. Walker has been and continues to be my academic adviser and my mentor as I work toward my career goals.
I first met Dr. Walker by taking her Introduction to Interpersonal Communication Theory class during the summer of 2002. During one of her lectures she asked the class, “Has anyone ever been socially attracted to anyone?” I raised my hand and shared with the class that I had been “socially attracted” not to a person but to the University of Virginia (UVA). I had always wanted the prestige and recognition that went along with graduating from UVA, but my academic performance kept me from attending. Her response in front of the class was, “Matthew, if you want to go to UVA, we can get you there!” Her determination and confidence made me start to question my own. I remember thinking, “Who does this lady think she is? She doesn't know me. She doesn't know how I have struggled through school.” Immediately after class I called my father, who is an alumnus of UVA, and told him about the interaction. I asked him if taking her offer seriously was in my best interest. Surprisingly, he encouraged me to pursue my dream of attending graduate school at UVA and to go talk to Dr. Walker about it.
My first meeting with Dr. Walker was intense as I was unsure how she would react after learning details about my past academic performance and sexual orientation. After coming out to Dr. Walker and discovering her acceptance of me, I was able to relax and trust her guidance. Dietz and Dettlaff (1997) emphasize the importance of working with a professional who is open to bisexuality and homosexuality issues. In that initial meeting, we talked about class, my sexual orientation, graduate school, and my career goals. She mentioned that she enjoyed having me in class because of the lively debates and discussions my comments sparked. She was pleased to hear I liked research and offered me a position on the Communication Department's undergraduate research team.
As we talked about class and the research team, I knew I had finally found a real academic adviser. I had talked with other advisers who told me which classes would be beneficial to me but gave me no other advice. The only information these advisers knew about me was what the folder said: scores and numbers that never revealed my passion and drive to learn. I could sense Dr. Walker cared about my situation as a GLBTI student and was willing to invest her time into my future. Suddenly, I began to see the dynamics of the student-adviser relationship evolve into a student-mentor relationship. Dr. Walker was interested in my long-term academic and personal goals as well as what classes I should take. She believed in my dream of eventually earning a graduate degree, and together we came up with a “game plan” to help me achieve this goal.
After meeting with Dr. Walker on a regular basis, I was able to discover more about my academic and life goals. Though some of our advising meetings focused on the courses I should take, other meetings moved beyond this routine task, as she encouraged me to consider different academic interests. She even suggested that I explore becoming a professor. It was the first time I envisioned myself as Dr. Childress! Shedding light on what she believed was latent potential in me, I considered what it would be like to be a professor, teaching and conducting research.
Up to this point, I had only been concerned with doing justice work for the GLBTI community. Dr. Walker encouraged me to look at life with a more broad view instead of restraining my options. She advised me that both research and social justice could be possible. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity” (King, 1987, p. 3). From that moment, I thought of myself as being on the road to becoming a civil rights activist and a college professor. Suddenly the utter chaos of my academic past was turning into an organized, goal-directed, and hopeful future.
The next fall semester was arduous for me. I incorporated the research team course into my already busy schedule. Being a member of this team, however, was worth the intense work. I grew personally and discovered a passion for conducting research. By the end of the semester, Dr. Walker had offered me not only the chance to do the analytical work for the study the following semester, but also a chance to be on a graduate-level research team and part of University of Louisville's highly competitive International Service Learning Program (ISLP).
I applied and was accepted into ISLP. As a part of ISLP, I worked with a team of professors and students to collect health information and to deliver and promote a free health clinic in Gales Point, Belize. There were times while preparing to go to Belize and during the academic semester that work seemed overwhelming. Through it all, Dr. Walker's continued support and belief in me gave me the self-confidence to persevere. Due to my initial connection with Dr. Walker, I was able to broaden my academic interests and incorporate my passion for helping others into my academic career.
My relationship with my adviser has continued to develop during my time at the University of Louisville. Dr. Walker has been my guide. She led me to believe in my own abilities and gifts. I am no longer filled with academic self-doubt. My self-doubt has been transformed into self-confidence.
I am now in the process of applying to graduate school. I have many questions and concerns and much excitement in this phase of my life. I am thankful though that Dr. Walker has an open door so I know I am not in this process alone. My hope is for all advisers to know the positive impact they can have on a student, especially a student from a marginal or underrepresented group.