Seeing Them Through

This morning I had the pleasure of participating in a dissertation defense for a student I had years ago at Lehigh. I was outside reader for Lindsey Livingston Runnell’s dissertation committee. She’s completing her PhD in Criminal Justice at Rutgers (after having — by the way — already received her law degree from George Washington University Law School; and about to embark on a tenure track job this fall for which she’s already lined up and ready to go).

This is the second time I’ve been able to do this for one of my ‘old’ Lehigh students (the first was my student Maggie). I sit on dissertation committees at Lehigh, and am sometimes asked to be outside reader for committees elsewhere. But it is really different — and really special — to sit on a dissertation committee for a student who you, yourself, had as an undergraduate. It is like seeing them through. And, in a special sort of wonderful way, you can see through them– because you knew them when.

You knew them when they were just getting started on forming their own ideas. You knew them when they were sort of an intellectual “child,” not really grown up yet into the lifeworld of their belief systems and not yet fully wrapping their own minds around their opinions and judgements and viewpoints and stances; when they were just beginning to bloom and blossom; when they weren’t yet in the driver seat of their own ideas. Teaching undergraduates is so special, at least in part because they are just starting out on the path of intellectually individuating. Every once in a while one really takes off. But then, often, you send them off on their way to law school or med school or a PhD program — and while you may see them from a distance, you don’t often get to really see the fruits of your labor up close.

So, to get to play such an intimate, inside role as sitting on a dissertation committee of a student whom you had as an undergrad…. well… that is like really coming full circle. Now they are intellectually fully in the driver’s seat. They are living it, owning it, and running with it. They are at the pinnacle of intellectual blossoming. It is pretty amazing to witness the transformation, and then be there for the culminating moment.

Thank you, Lindsey, for letting me be part of it. I am humbled by watching you, and I am so grateful you’re doing your good work in this world. We need you. And I’m proud of you. Love, Heather

{photo credit: I stole the photo at top from Lindsey’s husband’s Facebook wall! I had called into the defense this morning, since I wasn’t able to be there in person. So, I missed the ritualistic celebratory post-diss-defense champagne. Lucky for me, I have Facebook to give me glimpses. I love this photo of Lindsey.}