Guest post: Journalism professor reflects on watching former student in the Super Bowl
Summer Hill-Vinson, instructional assistant professor of journalism instruction, shares a reflection on her teaching over the last 17 years--including one notable UM alum.
One of my former students scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
Just as I remember where A.J. Brown once sat in my classroom nearly a decade ago, I will remember where I was when he reached the pinnacle of success for his career as a receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. Talking about it, however, makes me uneasy.
When a Philadelphia Inquirer journalist asked if I remembered teaching him, I said “of course.” I can picture A.J. on the back row of an upstairs computer lab in Farley Hall, but he isn’t the only student I vividly recall. Though he is likely the most well-known, he also isn’t the only former student who is exceptional. I have taught nearly 1,500 students over the last 17 years, most of them in small introductory media writing classes. I believe the heart of a teacher is to see potential in each student, and one student representing the entirety of my teaching feels incomplete.
A.J. shining in that classroom had exactly nothing to do with him being a football player. I knew him before many of his football accolades, and it was obvious he would be successful wherever he directed his focus, whether that was catching a football or talking about football on TV. People sometimes ask me about teaching athletes, but I don’t teach athletes. I teach students who also happen to play sports, and in my classroom, they are writers exploring another facet of themselves away from the field or court.
Another reason I feel unsettled is, well, I publicly cried when I read the Philadelphia Inquirer article about being his teacher, but not for reasons someone might assume. I was an adjunct instructor back then. I spent 13 years wrestling with a system that doesn’t prefer diversions, even if the veered path starts with medical mishaps. For a very long time, I had no office, I signed no contract, and I had no benefits, living wage, or job security. How we view adjunct teachers, part-time instructors, and instructors of practice can strip them of their value in a system that relies on their contributions. Regardless of my job title, I showed up in the classroom determined to be my best self with my students, who often make no distinction between types of instructors. All of us who love teaching devote hours to planning, learning, developing new assignments, grading, posting grades, answering emails, attending meetings, and all the other tasks that may go unseen. To feel seen, even for a moment, was deeply affirming.
I have no idea what A.J. remembers about me or my class. Maybe he remembers what I said about players running quickly, not quick, or the City of Oxford Board of Aldermen meeting we covered as a class. Whatever students take from my courses, sharing in even a tiny part of their journey is an honor. I rarely witness an achievement so visibly, but I have the same intention with all my students at the University of Mississippi. I want to provide the space to learn, the encouragement to grow, and the tools to help them along their way.
Sometimes, they score Super Bowl touchdowns.