How do you help students make the most of their college experience?

I try to help students see the connections between their coursework and their life after graduation--especially if those connections are not obvious. I encourage them to be open to experiences outside their comfort zone, since it is in these spaces where they have the greatest potential to discover something new about themselves and their interests that can have profound impacts on the rest of their lives, including opening their eyes to career paths that they didn't realize existed.

What's one experience outside the classroom that shaped who you are today?

Living abroad reinforced my curiosity and respect for other cultures and languages. It's the sort of experience that leaves you unsatiated and craving the next journey abroad, the next attempt to learn another language.

What's something you struggled with as a student, and what helped you in that situation?

I was initially unsure of what to choose as a major, not because there wasn't an area that interested me, but because there were too many. This continued in graduate school as I had to choose a specialization (there are too many fascinating subfields). I'm no longer a uni student, but the temptation remains: jump into this really interesting subject, and then soon abandon it for the next shiny, new thing to learn. What helped me was to realize (and then constantly remind myself) that deep exploration of a topic and the development of expertise are just as rewarding as the novelty of pursuing something new. Never stop exploring and trying new things, but don't lose sight of the intrinsic reward of becoming deeply skilled and knowledgeable in a specific area.

What are some places you've lived or traveled to? How have those places influenced who you are or how you see the world today?

The place I've lived that has had the greatest influence on me is Munich, Germany. Germany is saturated with history, from the astounding to the catastrophic. I remain fascinated by how Germany confronts its history. Germany's wrestling with its past has been messy and imperfect, yet I know of no other society that has done it so directly. I think a critical lesson Germany can offer us is that facing our past and working through it honestly doesn't make us weaker, rather it puts us on a stronger footing for the future.