Farewell De Anza and Thank You!
When I think about what my life was like before returning to college, it makes all the hard work during the past nine quarters feel like a badge of honor, handed down from Socrates himself. I find myself weeks away from accomplishing a goal set way back then, when I was bored of all my video games, tired of all the local skate spots, and everyday becoming increasingly more aware that graduating from college was not going happen. Now I’ll be attending San Jose State University in the Spring with a good GPA and an even better mind set. I have all this in thanks to De Anza College and 30 some-odd instructors who helped show me the way.Coming back to school when I was 25 years old didn’t take courage as much as a little financial help. I filled out a couple of forms, waited a couple weeks, and before I knew it, I was receiving a couple thousand dollars for every quarter I was enrolled. All I had to do was concentrate on school, and I loved it. I took three classes my first quarter back and found an interest that soon became the fuel for my scholastic career; the truth. I found the truth I didn’t already know and all-too frequently assumed I did. I learned about ancient civilizations from actual first hand accounts. I studied nutrition and the ways I should treat my body. I even found the real reason that ancient Mayan culture is so mysterious.As each quarter past and the more subjects I took, the hotter the fire burned inside me. I knew then that I wanted to dedicate my life to uncovering and informing people about the realities of the world, good and bad, without someone else’s or even my own interpretation. I wanted to be a journalist and more importantly, I knew I could. From that moment on, I choose classes that satisfied my transfer as well as my own personal goals. I took English classes that emphasized a world view in the required reading. I absorbed all that my Mass Media class had to offer. I learned to write journalistically from great teachers who had tons of experience. I even started practicing yoga, amusingly enough, to steady my mind from the overload of information that was sometimes just as frustrating to realize as it was enlightening. I did everything I could to prepare myself for the next step, and now that I’m ready, I feel anxious to get on with it. But before I leave De Anza, I feel a responsibility to give something back. I’ve already written about my favorite places on campus, including my beloved Financial Aid Center, so I want to take this opportunity to pay homage to the classes that have changed my life.
Here are the top 5 classes I’ve taken at De Anza that continue to inspire me and some of the truths I found along the way.
1. Creative Minds, HUMI 1 – Sal Breiter: The biggest influence on me of any course. I learned that if I want to make a significant change in a particular field, I need to become an expert. Or at least inspire one. I found my major when I found my own definition of creativity. Thanks Sal, for challenging me to break boundaries, and for showing me that there’s nothing wrong with it. HOWL!
2. Colonial Latin American History, ICS 38a – Carlos Mujal: I don’t want to play spoiler, but the ancient Mayan’s are only mysterious because in 1562, a Spanish Bishop gathered and burned almost every Mayan manuscripts along with the hundreds of years of Mayan history they contained within. This was my first intercultural studies class and it completely captured my interest. Thank you Carlos, your class inspired me to study the Latin American region for my Global Studies minor.
3. Global Issues and Perspectives, INTL 5 – Constance Cole: Never in my life have I been so humbled based solely on my pre-assumed ideas. The more I learn about the world around me and the political, social, and economic systems that run everything the better understanding I have of what my goals should be. Thank you, Constance. I learned that the world is a complicated and frustrating place, but only in you don’t take action.
4. Mass Media and its Impact on Society, JOUR 2 – Beth Grobman: The power and influence of the mass media is something that everyone could benefit from knowing more about. It should be mandatory in grade school education. I found something tragically wrong with the way the media is used to influence people for the sake of profit or political ideology rather than for the betterment of society. Thanks Beth. I found my journalistic emphasis in your class. I’m all about magazines!
5. Reading Writing, and Research, EWRT 1b (online) – Ann Reh: Not only did I learn valuable research and writing techniques from this class, I read authors from all around the world. Every story had its own set of cultural perspectives that dared me to respect and understand them the best I could. Thank you Ann, you class was simply constructed and tremendously influential. I’m a better writer and a more understanding person because of it. It’s amazing what you can learn online.
Thanks De Anza, you did well.
John Ellis
