By Grace Lemmon, Assistant Professor – It’s easy for me to remember my undergrad DePaul days. And for that simple reason, I have always dreamed of returning. To think that now, as faculty here, I could have a significant effect on students is a wondrous thing.
I have a few favorite memories from my time at DePaul, including a dueling banjo demonstration to illustrate the importance of teamwork and tales of two wayward brothers’ many (many) accounting mistakes as fodder for balance sheet missteps. In all, my DePaul memories have banded together to be much more. As a collection, they served as a foundation for my future, becoming a stable source of motivation and inspiration.
Sometimes I think about my absolute naivety when I first walked through the doors at DePaul: I had no knowledge of what the degree would mean to me or what the professors here would help me accomplish. But each and every professor enlightened me, ultimately pushing me to apply for graduate school, setting my career aspirations within reach.
I think it is easy to forget how much anxiety attending college can produce. For college student, choosing an educational path while still maturing, facing uncertain labor markets, and, perhaps for the first time, being responsible completely for many major life decisions bears greater weight than they let on. But DePaul seems to minimize these fears because of the investment it makes in its students: as I have experienced, professors here are committed completely to their students’ educational lives. This sentiment is aligned with my core teaching philosophy of not only teaching factual lessons but also helping students think more deeply about their futures and realize broader career possibilities. It is energizing to work in a culture that supports its students so wholly, and that is one of the main reasons why I have always sought to return to DePaul to work.
DePaul left me not just with fond memories of college friends and a handful of useful lessons, it also left me prepared, confident and ready to engage with the world. Importantly, its professors and staff were willing to help me craft a trajectory beyond the bounds of DePaul. This made my education extend far beyond my four years at the school. I can think of nothing more rewarding than paying this forward to a new generation of DePaul students. With this in mind, I hope to provide my students with the same unwavering support that DePaul has provided to me. I am excited for this responsibility. I am excited to connect with my new students and colleagues. And above all, I am excited for DePaul.
Grace Lemmon is a new Assistant Professor in the Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University.