There is something about Mary!
It was my second day at work in my new workplace which is a university. It has been a while since I worked in an academic environment. I was excited and happy to be back in a familiar surrounding. Classes, assignments, reading text, library and students are now the terminologies that are coming back to me. After almost a decade in a corporate environment, I realize that my calling is the academia. Students are my source of inspiration and I want to do what I do best, and that is teaching. I am a happy and a contented man. I am living my dream.
My course leader Far, short for Farah, came smiling to my room and announced that I will be getting two interns who will shadow me doing my lecturing. They are TESOL students who needed to do their practicum. I was excited and was looking forward to share my experience and to be a mentor to them. I want to inspire them. I have great plans for my interns.
Karla came earlier, she is young, beautiful and was full of life. We waited a while for my second intern to arrive. The glass door opened and Mary walked in. There is something about Mary! She is not like other students on campus. She is special.
Mary is in her final year. She started her degree in 2005 and she hopes to graduate in August this year. She told me that she is looking forward to her convocation in December this year. She goes around on campus carrying a big blue knapsack. In it, she carries her writing stuff, umbrella, tissues, snacks, and books minus the kitchen sink. It is big and has everything that she needs as a student. She wears round metal glasses that make her look scholarly and she ties her long hair in a pony tail. Yes she sounds like a typical hardworking student, right? Well she is in no way typical. Mary is in a league of her own.
You see, Mary is sixty one this year.
Mary went back to school to pursue her dream of becoming an English teacher when she was fifty-eight. She tried to be a teacher in 1968 but could not get into teaching college. So she worked for thirty-five years and after retiring as an administrator in the civil service she used her gratuity money to finance her education.
There is something about Mary that I admire. We have something in common. We both know what we want in life. We want to be teachers. We are both lucky to be in UNITAR.
3 comments:
Keep it up Cikgu! Keep blogging. I am admiring that Mary.
salam cikgu
i should be ashame of myself,i never thought of trying to have the courage like Mary had...i wish i had her determination and spirit!maybe,my lack of confidence is my wall!someday,i might try to break that wall!
salam... :)
Dear Chikgu Najmi,
Welcome to the Club! Saw your link at Mr. Manager's. Want to tell you - you and I share the same profession AND similar Blog Template AND same intersest in AF (but stopped AFUNDIing. The last time was for Farhan. Of course I saw you when you were on AF!). I opted from teaching upon reaching 50, changed my paradigma 360 degrees i.e.took to learning a new language - ARABIC which after two years, I was able to teach the language and above all understanding the Al-Quran and Hadis. Didn't intend to teach but upon requests from my friends, the "Golden Girls" (Warga Emas). Once a teacher, always a teacher kan, can't get away from it! Actually I gain more knowledge as I impart my knowledge. One never stop learning at whatever age, yes Cikgu Najmi? Congratulations to Mary!
All the best to you in your new career, Cikgu.
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