It is amazing how many dreams America has to offer, and I think teachers play a pivotal role in making many of them come true. All my life, I have been blessed to have wonderful teachers who have nurtured the growth of my mind and sense of self. When I arrived in the United States from Burma, I was a shy, young girl who had to learn English through ESL classes. Along the way the encouragement of my teachers has helped me gain confidence. When I arrived in college, I did not know much about the ancient Greeks and Romans. But two classes with two extraordinary Classics professors entirely changed my perception and career choice. They made the ancient world come alive in every class they taught and thus sparked a great new interest in many of their students. That’s when I truly came to the realization that there is more than one way to save a life: breathing vitality into a mind is perhaps as important as breathing life into a body. I knew then that I wanted to teach, to breathe that infectious desire to learn into new generations of students. Teachers can influence their students in subtle and in profound ways, by their words of encouragement, by their recognition of potential and talent, and by their genuine care for the development of their students.

I am very grateful to be a graduate teaching assistant, a position that I feel helps me to connect with my students much quicker. It is a fantastic opportunity to see how one can use a variety of techniques to draw in the students, and it is rewarding to be able to change their mediocre expectations of a class they have to take and turn it into a surprisingly interesting experience. Kindling the students’ enthusiasm in the class, whether it’s about classical mythology, tragedy or history, is the first objective.

While I find the ancient Graeco-Roman world fascinating, I must be able to convey that to the students in order to immerse them in deeper discussions. I also believe it is indispensable to establish a rapport with them, one of mutual respect, and one where they are motivated to meet my high, but attainable standards.

Recitation is an opportunity to involve as many students as possible into a dialogue, in which my role is a facilitator and a guide. My job is to provide an encouraging and stimulating environment, where my students feel comfortable to voice their educated hypotheses and thought-provoking comments to the questions put forth. A few days before each recitation, I often send out an email that poses some discussion topics and questions that help to guide and focus their immense reading list. Not only does this make recitation more productive, but it also gives the shy students a chance to think over some ideas they may want to voice.

During our discussions, I try to point out the complexities of working with and interpreting ancient sources that range from architecture, sculpture, and coins, to many genres of literature. But I also caution them to be aware of the limitations of having lost so many sources, too. When they approach the ancient texts, I advise them to set aside their modern biases, to read with a critical eye and to understand the context in which each author wrote and what their values were then.

Instead of always having an abstract discussion, I try to lighten the mood with ancient “trivia” that is both informative, amusing, and relates the students to the ancients, such as where we get our expressions for ‘the face that launched a thousand ships’, ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’, or the derivatives of salary or tantalize. After all trivia is a Latin word, referring to the meeting place of three roads where gossip was often exchanged. Such "trivia" is the heart and soul of a culture as much as the facts and dates and "high" texts. My ideal goal is for my students to become part of the ancient cultures, and such "trivial" exchanges can bring these ancient worlds to life. As I like to tell my students, they are not just studying dead white men of two and an half millennia ago. Rather, there is a very tangible connection between them and the Greeks and Romans.

Coming from an Asian background, I found my introduction into the ancient
Graeco-Roman worlds to be an illuminating experience. The ancient texts helped me to think and see the world in a different way than I had been brought up. I think that to study in a western institution and yet not to reflect upon the development of the different disciplines is a failure to understand their rich heritage in these ancient civilizations. More broadly speaking, I encourage my students to recognize the importance of studying the classical worlds because the influence of the Greeks and Romans has crossed racial and cultural barriers in our own world. For the class to be successful, the students need to realize the fruitfulness of studying ancient history and literature, both to enrich their understanding of the roots of western culture and to see the reverberating impact on today in so many aspects-language, literature, science, math, philosophy, art, politics. Furthermore, ancient history helps to reveal the patterns in human nature, causality and events.

In recitation, I try to be clear and concise in my explanations, and I also point out and repeat important themes and concepts that reoccur. This helps the students process the material and to see the broader picture, ideas and connections in Greek or Roman societies.

From the start, I set the standard that I do not want my students to merely regurgitate facts they’ll never remember ten years from now. But if I encourage them to think and interpret the sources for themselves and to analyze key issues, hopefully I have helped them walk away from the class with a more lasting impression of who the ancient Greeks and Romans were and what they valued. Furthermore, I hope that I’ve helped my students develop critical learning and analytical skills that they can apply in other classes and in other facets of their lives.

The teachers who have had the greatest influence on me were those who strove to bring something new to every discussion and who made their students a priority. I try to follow in their example by striving to do the same for my students. Success is when I’ve got the students in a lively discussion, when I see their animated faces. Success is when they tell me they love my enthusiasm and my efforts, which have prompted them in turn to get excited about coming to class and to participate.

As a student myself, I can empathize with their difficulties. Whenever I can, I take the time to get to know my students and relate to them in some meaningful way, whether it be in a quick chat after class or over email. Being responsive in a personable way makes a world of difference because they see the time and attention I devote to them, but that in return, I do expect their best effort. This nomination has meant the world to me, in affirming my wish to become a professor and making it worth the long academic journey. Most importantly, it shows that I have been able to share my passion with my students and have played some part in contributing positively to their college experience in and outside the classroom, just as so many of my teachers have done for me. It is truly rewarding to be around students who are eager to learn and to learn from them-teaching is really about exchanging ideas.