The process of communicating and having conversation about a specific topic is what we humans love to do, whether with an individual or a group. Similarly, I felt really mature and true when I interviewed Dr. Jack Holcomb, Director of Center for Academic Excellence at Truman State University. According to Dr. Jack, his father was an officer due to which he had to move from one place to another and got to experience relationships with a lot of people. Like every other child, being an Astronaut was his childhood dream and he wanted to become a writer with a more realistic ambitions when he grew older. He is an Alumni of the institution as he gained his Master’s From Truman State University However, achieving his Ph.D. in Folklore studies from ……. After working at University of Missouri for 7 Years, He joined Truman University as an employee in 2007.
At first I came to knowing about Dr. Holcomb from one of my classes which was INDV 100 01, titled, The Truman Experience. Later I also came to know that he was the Director of the Center for academic excellence. I wanted to interview this person after a sudden moment of realization and fruition for me. During the class while we were having question and answers session, I was writing down an answer that I personally wanted to suggest to the questioner. While I was writing the end of the answer, Dr. Holcomb was answering the same question in his own manner. He was spitting out the exact same words that I was writing towards the end of my answer and I couldn’t help but shout out to him about the coincidence. Initially I came up with this thought of talking to him outside the classroom boundaries.
The fundamental part of Dr. Holcomb’s job requires him to communicate with his students and co-workers especially through tons of E-mails but in contrast he explains that he likes to communicate in person. His job is to help students with their academic works and other difficulties, so he listens to their problems and suggests ways in which he can help direct the student to a better path. “Communicating with young adults, it is something that keeps me on my toes.”(Holcomb) I think that helped me better understand how much he likes to communicate & help others while responsibly working his job day in, day out.
Personally Dr. Holcomb finds communication complicated but at the same time truthfully amazing and beautiful which I fairly agreed with. My communication style did overlap with Dr. Holcomb’s at where we like to communicate in person and also listening to others problems and helping them. However, I do feel like we have differences in communication since we both are from a different set of generation.
The most important takeaway from this project would be this idea from Dr. Holcomb where he explains about what a communication should include. In Dr. Holcomb’s opinion, a conversation between individuals or group should consist of Good will and honesty. Personally, I feel like he was right since these factors will have positive effect in a conversation or the communication process and which can in turn help create respect and mutual understanding.
I feel like I learned a lot from this interview as I got the chance to learn new things from a very intelligent and gentle human being. As a matter a fact this was only my third such assignment and I feel like I’m getting better at this. I would like to thank Nicole Stelter for assigning me with this great opportunity to know my professor. I also gained more skills on interviewing a person and about working professionally.
