Readers Respond
My Favorite Teacher

My favorite teacher was Marshall Fishwick, who taught communication and popular culture at Virginia Tech, when such a field got little respect among the university’s architects and engineers. He had a way of teaching us not what to think but how to think, and I believe his mentoring helped me to develop skills in synthesizing information rather than just learning by rote. When I dropped out of school, I missed his classes so much that it helped convince me to come back and finish.

Cherisse Gardner
Manager, Instructional Design Services
School of Undergraduate Studies

My favorite teacher was Ross McKenzie, who taught my IFSM 300 class. He is very knowledgeable and made the class fun. He broke things down and made it easy for us to understand, and he didn’t sound like a know-it-all (even though he really does seem to know it all). Ross rocks!

Kelley Hicks
Team Assistant
Andrews Air Force Base

Maria Lee

The best teacher that I had growing up—and still have—is my mother, Wanda Santini. She has taught me everything that I know as a person and as a mother. She has always been my inspiration.

Maria Lee
Program Management Specialist
Office of Distance Education and Lifelong Learning

My favorite teacher was Mrs. Wayland, who taught third grade. Looking back, I think she physically resembled Miss Marple, which might be why I like the Agatha Christie series so much!

Andrea Martino
Director
Public Relations Office

My favorite teacher was my chemistry teacher from high school. She showed me that it was okay to be a female AND to be smart in math and science. She was short, feisty, and incredibly smart. That was the first time I realized it was cool to be a geek and there was a world of possibilities in my future.

Patti Pezzuti
Manager, Computer Support
Information Technology

I have two favorite teachers, one from sixth grade and one from my senior year in college. Benjamin Edwards and John Havel were both new to teaching, and I think that is why they impressed us all so much. They still had a raw enthusiasm and passion. They cared that we understood what we were learning, and why. And they were fallible, and knew it. I was struck by how hard they worked to be better at their craft.

Alexis Howell-Kubler
Faculty Member
UMUC–Europe