Life is Now by Julia

Life is Now by Julia - June 2019 Scholarship Essay

As any student knows, there are good teachers and then there are bad teachers. In very rare cases, however, there are teachers who are downright transcendental. I had the pleasure of taking the class of a professor who transcended every preconceived notion I had for what I thought a professor was. His name was Craig Stettner and the class was General Zoology.

In the class, he made sure to focus on conservation and used every corner of the Earth as a learning experience for us. I had no idea how much work could be done and needed to be done for the conservation of this planet until Craig's class. Craig was kind, caring, and one of the most important and inspirational role models I've ever had in my life. Before his class, I was an early childhood education major but by the end, I had switched to my passion of Zoology.

Craig taught me one of the most important lessons I've learned in life thus far; He taught me that my life is now. I had a passion for animals and was considering Veterinary medicine for a long while. I had stuck with the teaching major, however, because it required less schooling. Craig made me realize that I needed to follow my heart and my passion for animals even if it was going to take longer to "finally get out of school".

I've always had that problem, too. I graduated high school one year early because I was always in a rush to get to the next thing. I had never realized I was doing it, either. After having the shift in thought, I can now enjoy every moment of every day of my life. I am focused on the now while being mindful of the future. I switched to a Zoology major and every single class I get to take is a treat. I look forward to class, work, and free time equally and I am now a straight A student. I am so happy, I could burst.
I wish I could thank Craig for everything he has done for me and let him know what an enormous impact he has had on my life. Unfortunately, on Christmas day of last year, he passed away at the age of fifty three. We were less than a week away from departing to Costa Rica for the second class I would have taken with him, Field Biology. He was on vacation with his family in Costa Rica swimming in the ocean when he noticed that his brother and niece were in trouble. They were too far out and couldn't fight the current to get back. Craig, being the selfless person he is, grabbed a floating board and kicked out to them. He handed off the board just in time as a giant wave crashed in on the three. He saved both of them but he didn't make it. The Field Biology class was cancelled and I was left confused and angry having lost my mentor and friend. I will never forget all of the lessons he taught me and I feel truly blessed to have studied under him.

This next degree is for you, Craig. Pura Vida.