Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Professors don’t just teach… they actually have a life!

With the economy on a current down slope and proposed budget cuts to Texas education imminent, it’s no wonder many students are finding it difficult to imagine an immediate career after graduation that will satisfy them financially and personally.

So many students graduate to find themselves in jobs that either have nothing to do with their chosen field of study or lacking the basis for a career.

Many people believe you must follow your bliss, even if it means following it concurrently with another job.

These days, it’s not uncommon to find people plugging away at the daily grind while still finding time to pursue personal endeavors.

The faculty and staff here at UTSA are no different.

Professor Ken Burchenal who, outside of teaching, writes music and plays for various bands. Recent doctoral graduate Dr. Marco Cervantes has established himself as one of San Antonio’s most promising MCs.

These professors have found avenues to hold a steady career in conjunction with something they are passionate about.

Joshua Beach is another professor who finds time outside of lecturing in the Writing Program to work on his craft.

“I work full-time for UTSA and part-time for Central Texas College,” said Beach. “I am also a researcher and writer.”

Beach has published three books to date: “Studies in Poetry: The Visionary” in 2004, “Studies in Ideology: Essays on Culture and Subjectivity” in 2005 and “Gateway to Opportunity?: A History of the Community College in the United States” in 2010.

He has also written and published several articles ranging in topics from globalization to poetry and politics.

Still, there are other professors who have found a facet in community involvement within the spectrum of education.

Several professors at UTSA engage in programs all over San Antonio in an effort to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

For the past five years, professor Ellen Walroth Sadurni has been involved in a program she helped establish at San Antonio College.

“The avocation I am most proud of to serve my San Antonio community is youth literacy,” said Sadurni. “To that effect, I transformed my Beginning English class into a Service Learning initiative that makes my college students not only learn to write essays but also reach out to the community and design literacy projects.”

Professor Sadurni was awarded the NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) outstanding teacher of the year award in 2008 and has since continued the program in order to increase awareness in her students and the surrounding community.

Yet another testament in finding happiness in hobbies that coincides with a given profession.

So the next time you feel lost in a world where the end of your rainbow always seems out of reach, think about what you’re truly passionate about and how you can keep to that passion.

Take a page out of our fellow professors’ book. After all, they’re supposed to be teaching us something, right?

More to Discover