Meet Crystal (she/her), a trained Environmental Engineer, trained to work on many types of projects, including but not limited to: maintaining safe municipal water supplies, controlling emissions and tracking chemical use at manufacturing plants, managing waste handling for hospitals, in upstate NY. “A decade ago I chose to answer a lifelong calling to become a teacher of math, engineering and environmental science. I’m still looking for a full-time Faculty position. Right now I teach as an Adjunct, I tutor, and I am essential staff for a community college campus. Now, when students ask (and someone *always* asks) “When are we ever going to need math?”, I can point to this pandemic as a key reason and say “I can help you learn this, if you’ll let me.” ”
As a member of a college campus staff, she performs inspections to maintain the facility so that it’s ready for the public when the world turns back on. These people behind the scenes are especially crucial during this time. “While doing monthly inspections recently, it seemed quite sad and lonely on campus. So many beautiful science labs for future nurses and infectious disease specialists, art studios and teaching galleries for the artists that make quarantine bearable, equipment for future manufacturing technicians and future construction managers – all currently idle and empty. I feel like I’m in a movie where a person is all alone at some remote interstellar outpost, brushing accumulated dust off solar panels every morning, maintaining a beacon that’s sending out a continuously looping message: “Come back! Come back! … Some day, when it’s safe.” Beep, beep, beep.”
Crystal is extremely animated and had even drawn on her whiteboard (pictured above) some of the things she does on the daily. At our meet up, fire extinguisher in hand, she was extremely eager to tell us what she does - which translated to someone who loves their job. It’s from the teachers to anyone working on a college campus that are truly special. Crystals interview had made us extremely eager for schools to open up again, as she just wants the best for everyone. “I miss everybody! I especially miss my students and I worry about them. I worry about the ones with “underlying conditions” such as having the bad luck to have cancer this year. I worry about the ones who are losing members of their families. I worry about the ones who are nearing the breaking point of dropping out of school with piled up debt and no job prospects. I also worry about the potential for losing professors who have so much to offer.”
Education is always on the radar with Individuals who foster learning being underpaid, and education cuts in NYS - but that hasn’t stopped Crystal. “My classes have all moved to distance learning and some students are really struggling….On one recent night I was online until midnight tutoring a young lady who was freaking out that she was going to fail her College Algebra class because she just wasn’t understanding things from reading notes and watching videos. She kept apologizing for “being stupid” and thanking me for being patient. Really and truly, I could see that she has a natural knack for math, just like all human beings have a natural knack for math. If you don’t believe me, give two children different sized pieces of cake and you’ll see it in action! But, it *is* hard to “get” via online instruction and it takes a *huge* amount of extra time. For example, a question that I can explain in 10 minutes in person takes about an hour online. Technology can be great for “study anytime” convenience, but it can also cause a lot of headaches, such as online tests that get disconnected in the middle and a student that should get 100% instantly gets 60% because they weren’t finished. It’s not fair! So, I wish I could reach through the screen and hug that student. I wish I could look directly in her eyes and tell her that she is definitely not stupid, that what she is trying to do *is* hard and that I truly admire her persistence. Keep on keeping on!”
That story had resonated with us a different way. It really opened our eyes - being out of school for years now - that there are people so hungry for further learning and education, and are being starved their fair shot. We didn’t like thinking of the negative, so we thought of the positive. There are so many online tutors like Crystal, many online classes, we have to hold out that hope and positive outlook that we will all see each other again next semester. “ l like teaching online, but I *love* teaching in person. There’s just something about the energy in a classroom that can’t be delivered online. Human beings evolved to learn from other human beings. Computers are better than nothing, but they’re substantially less than the real thing. We need to be together, in the same place, at the same time!” We agree, Crystal.
So let’s keep in mind those that our preserving the integrity of all houses of education. Who are up countless hours tutoring those who are struggling with the learning curve. Thank you, you are truly essential, and truly preserving the future. With the closing from Crystal, “Come back! Come back! … Some day, when it’s safe.” Beep, beep, beep.
// Please note all quoted statements above are those of Crystal and not reflective Faiella Studios.