Growing to appreciate and enjoy my academic life

Throughout my years at Westminster, I have grown fond of a handful of my professors. Dr. Jeff Bersett is one of those professors. From intermediate Spanish II to Hispanic American Literature, Dr. Bersett has been there for me every step of the way. In a way, he has become a second adviser to me, guiding me through my Spanish minor and my overall collegiate career.
When I met Dr. Bersett my freshman year, I was still scared of college and certainly scared of taking up a minor in Spanish, despite a year of honors Spanish IV to close out my high school career. It didn’t take long for that fear to go away. With Dr. Bersett’s encouragement to embrace college for what it is and to work extremely hard on my Spanish studies, it was easy to see he would become a major influence on me, not to mention one of my favorite professors. He understood I was nervous, but he also recognized my eagerness and willingness to learn. For the first time in my overall scholastic career (grade, middle, high school AND college thus far) I genuinely enjoyed class. Starting with Spanish, my interest spread to speech class, broadcast writing, voice and diction, and others. Through Dr. Bersett’s encouragement, I learned to love college and the challenges that came with it. I saw my grades rise from a 3.1 my first semester to a 3.6 my second semester. I credit him a great deal for that increase, because, if not for his motivation, my grades may have slipped or just stayed the same.
To this day, Dr. Bersett remains a critical part of my academic success. The classes’ a part of my Spanish minor have remained extremely important to my scholastic and social life. I study Spanish extensively and speak it almost daily, whether to myself, in class, or to others who understand. It is my hope that this minor and one day being bilingual will carry me far into my career. It is because of Dr. Bersett’s urging that I am even in this minor. He saw potential in me and pushed me to study hard and work with the language. His assistance and advice has carried over to broadcasting. He has always been an avid supporter of my work within the department. It is with his help and excellent class instruction that I now love class and embrace my broadcasting and Spanish studies. I credit Dr. Bersett, along with a handful of other professors who have taught me, with enriching my academic life as well as my daily life. His concern has gone a long way with my pursuit to learn and ultimately succeed.