Butterflies are common among new students, but professors also share in the nerves of the first day of a new school experience.
“I was actually kind of nervous on the first day of class, but at the same time I was excited to get started,” Dr. Polli Chambers-Salazar, new music professor, said.
Dr. Chambers-Salazar, who teaches all levels of piano and also music fundamentals, taught at Pasadena City College for five years and also at USC and the College of the Canyons in Valencia simultaneously for eight years as a piano instructor before arriving at ECC
“I wasn’t really nervous because as a performer, I’m so used to being in front of a lot of people,” Chambers-Salazar said.
Before teaching here, she didn’t know where Torrance or ECC was, but she has found her way with the help from her fellow staff members and students.
“It has been a smooth transition since day one; everyone has been so helpful and I’m just amazed how students here are so interested in music,” Chambers-Salazar said.
Alice Cornelio, a new full-time librarian at ECC, is already accustomed to being in school grounds because of her previous part-time experience as an El Camino librarian. She has worked at Marymount College, Rancho Palos Verdes and the National Library of the Philippines before settling at ECC.
“It was harder than I thought because the workload is more and there are more students during the weekdays,” Cornelio said.
Although the work is tougher, she appreciates it when students go out of their way to say thank you.
“The other day, I was helping a student at the reference desk to find a certain book, then once he checked out the book, he came back to me just to say thank you and he appreciated my help,” Cornelio said. “That really made my day.”
Vera Bruce, fashion design instructor, is another new full-time employee at ECC who found an easy transition going from part-time to full-time.
“It’s the same thing for me except the work load is a lot more, I teach more classes and there are more students this time around,” Bruce said.
Michael Bateman, math professor, is also a new full-time teacher but was also a former part-time instructor and student at ECC.
“Some of my colleagues here are my former teachers,” Bateman said. “You talk about home sweet home; well, ECC is home for me.”
Part of the job in making the transition easier for students and teachers is a joint effort in trying to understand his or her new environment.
“I know this is a difficult time for new college students transitioning from high school, so I’m here helping them to reach their full potential,” Bateman said. “Students have a lot of questions, some are confused and some just don’t get it. It’s a very hard time for these kids and I really want to captivate them and bring something new to student learning.”
Some of these new full-time faculty members come from different backgrounds and different places. But one thing they do have in common is that they all love the students and their fellow staff members at ECC.
“Take this educational opportunity as in all other opportunity to show the best side of yourself,” Bruce said.
