Assistant Professor Aaron French has been a professor with UNM for three years and, in this time, said he has learned just as much from his students through their diverse cultural background as they have learned from him.
French earned his undergrad and master’s in business from Western Kentucky University, and his doctorate from Mississippi State University.
As a professor, French experienced a variety of cultures during his time teaching, from Mississippi to the three-and-a-half years he spent in South Korea.
French said his experiences in Mississippi, New Mexico and South Korea were different in many ways, from demographics to culture.
However, he said a common experience he shared between two of the places he taught — New Mexico and South Korea — was changing his teaching environment to accommodate those whose first language may not have been English.
“When I came to New Mexico, I saw a mix of that. I saw a lot of students here who speak English as their second language and Spanish may be their first language from their home,” he said. “So I think the experience I had in South Korea teaching to those types of students has been really beneficial to me teaching students here.”
French said that although Mississippi and New Mexico vary due to differences in demographics, both are actually very similar in terms of social demographics and income.
He said New Mexico has a larger Hispanic population, where in Mississippi there is a larger African American population.
“Here we have a lot of Hispanic and Native American cultures and I have a lot of my students come from those type of backgrounds and I learned from them. You know about their heritage and it’s very interesting for me to see as well,” French said.
French said he enjoys working with more diverse students, because many of them work hard to learn despite coming from less privileged communities.
“They want to try to create a better life for them and their families, and so I think those types of students are more fun to work with than students who come from a more privileged background,” he said.
French said he came from a poor economic background, and is the second in his family to earn a degree and the first to utilize it.
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“I’m trying to set an example for my family back at home, for all my younger cousins and hopefully encourage them to go to college,” he said.
French said his family has been supportive of his career as a professor and his choices to explore different cultures and move to different states and countries. His parents visited him in Mississippi and South Korea as well as in New Mexico.
“My parents came out here for Balloon Fiesta two years ago and they got to see something they have seen on TV and never imagined they’d come and see in real life. That’s kind of cool,” he said.
French said he enjoys living in New Mexico, where he has found similarities with Kentucky — the state he grew up in — such as the mentality that people born and raised in each state tend to put down roots and stay put.
“You get that kind of focus (in Kentucky) on being involved in your own community, and it’s a very involved,, very friendly community. People are kind to each other and help each other, which is similar to the mentality that you see here in New Mexico,” he said.
As a professor, French said that while he sees similarities in the experiences students have in college now, he has seen differences as well.
The greatest difference, he said, is the impact the internet and social media has had on students today.
“So whenever I started college it was back in 1996, back when the internet was first commercialized. So when I was in high school I didn’t have internet, and I never used email, so I saw email for the very first time when I went to college,” he said. “It is very different now that you have those growing up with social media.”
French believes that, due to growing up with social media, students naturally have the opportunity to learn how to utilize the growing technology and social networking in a responsible way.
“I think 10 years ago that is probably the biggest difference between my generation and the current generation. Because when social media was introduced it was such a big thing, and people didn’t fully understand it,” he said.
French said it was another professor who put him on the path to teaching by acknowledging how well he was working with other students in his class and how well he was able to explain complex things to his peers.
“So he thought I had the intangible qualities that would make for a good professor. At the time I hadn’t really ever thought about it,” he said.
French is currently an assistant professor for two online courses, and he said that in his experience, online classes can actually lead to more interaction than traditional in-person classes.
“I have students who are contacting me, posting messages pretty much any time of the day.o I spend about two to three hours a day on the discussion board or replying to emails for students who want to come to my office,” he said. “There is a lot more interaction with the students online than I have face to face.”
French said his biggest advice for students is to do more than what’s required in college, because when students graduate they get a piece of paper denoting the same degree that thousands across America are also attaining.
French encourages students to stand out, whether it's by participating in activities, getting an internship or learning a new skill in their own time outside of the classroom.
“When you go to apply for a job, lots of people have that same piece of paper. The only difference is what name is on that piece of paper,” he said.“You need to do something that puts you in a different category from everyone else.”
Nichole Harwood is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Nolidoli1.
