by Kyla Galer

Sam Shorey says that her teachers changed her life. From watercolor paintings in kindergarten, to 8th grade English, Shorey says, “I think back to if everyone cared a little less about their jobs my life would be completely different.”

 Twenty-something years later, Shorey now teaches public speaking to undergrads at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Just a few years older than some of her students, Shorey’s petite frame and high-pitched voice makes her easily mistaken for an undergraduate. She is still a student, as she works towards her PhD in culture and communications in the graduate program at UMass Amherst.

 Shorey says she would not be where she is today without the help of one man, Dr. Del Río. He was her thesis advisor and professor during Shorey’s senior year as an undergraduate at the University of San Diego. It took many nerves and four small words to create a day, and more importantly, a moment Shorey would never forget.

 “You are really bright,” said Del Río to Shorey, following her important thesis presentation titled, “A Bias Cut,” determining whether the ideas of femininity and fashion are compatible. Not only did she have the professor whom she well respected to impress, but her ex-boyfriend was also among the many sets of eyes watching her that day.

Those nerves helped Shorey channel her energy into the presentation on femininity, fashion and feminism that followed with those small, but powerful words. Shorey said, “I didn’t know if I had what it takes to get my PhD,” That was until she heard the positive response from Del Río. Shorey says it was having someone believe in her and the feeling of fulfillment that made her realize teaching and even achieving her PhD one day was much more of a reality than she thought.

Shorey, who was originally from the West coast, admits her big move from coast to coast most likely wouldn’t have happened without the influence of her professor. Del Río earned a PhD in the Department of Communication at UMass Amherst and Shorey said, “he raved about it!”

 Shorey knew she would miss her family on the West coast but between the strong communications department UMass had to offer and the recommendations from her professor, it was an opportunity she did not want to turn down.

Although Del Río played a vital part in leading Shorey’s career path to UMass, there was a time when she was not as confident in her future as an undergrad at the University of San Diego, USD. Originally from Eugene, Ore., Shorey spent her first few months in California making daily calls home to her Dad and younger sister who she left behind in her home state. Attending USD almost on full scholarship and working as either a waitress or barista to support herself, Shorey said she, “felt out of place and homesick.”  They were two emotions she did not anticipate on having while picking the university.

 Shorey kept herself busy with school and her newly joined sorority where she finally felt connected. Within her sorority, she was given the title of social chair which immediately sparked new interests. She had her own office hours, corrected her sister’s papers and created a new scholarship plan. With many new responsibilities, she said, “It felt so good.”

 Even with the enjoyment she found while exceeding her social chair duties, and the confidence she gained from her thesis class, Shorey still went on to follow her first love of fashion post-graduation.

Shorey continued her waitressing days while interning at Portland Fashion Week. Much to her dismay, she was disappointed by the field she had such a passion for. She says it was more of an, “ego performance” for the people she worked for. She then dabbled her way at a marketing boutique hotel company, only to find the same disappointments. To her the industry was very corporate with a lack of artistry. “I wanted it to matter more than just making people look good,” Shorey said.

Now living in Western, Mass. Shorey has a different set of goals. She says she wants to do for her students what past teachers have done for her, give them the skills they need to believe in themselves. “I think it’s so important to set high standards for myself as a teacher so the students don’t miss out,” Shorey said.

Her biggest challenge is gaining the respect of her students through her teaching without “letting the seams show.” Her student Anne Welch said, “She’s so calm and welcoming and yet at the same time so well prepared for a structured class.”

Shorey always has a power point on the board behind her that bullets the main ideas presented during class. She also uses video clips as real life examples of what she is teaching such as, J.K Rowling’s commencement speech at Harvard University or Shawn Achor’s TedX Talk on the secret of happiness.

Another student Jasmine Abreu said, “I think that her age positively affects the classroom environment because she is well read and familiar with current trends and societal issues.”

Shorey says she tries to incorporate human interactions and idea provoking exorcises through her teaching. For example a name-game activity she planned for the second day of class, or the mid semester open forum class where she encouraged course feedback. “I feel responsible for giving my best knowledge,” Shorey said while explaining she doesn’t want her students to miss out on any information.

“I love how natural her teaching style is, it really expresses her bubbly personality,” said another one of her students, Peyton Weston.

On the first day of class Shorey made sure all 25 syllabuses were printed and stapled on peach paper, still nothing compared to the electric pink paper she used for an assignment sheet later in the semester.

As Shorey works at graduate school and teaching, she also works towards her “dream job” of becoming a professor at a liberal arts school. Ironically while talking about the public speaking class Shorey took as an undergraduate student she said, “I don’t want my public speaking class to be a waste of time.” She wanted her students to feel the opposite of how she felt when taking this course; she wanted them to like it.

“I think it embodied my background,” She says when referring to the vocational training which she feels helps with later jobs. Marcus Carlburg, another student of Shorey’s, said, “she’s really passionate about public speaking and the importance it has on all of her student’s futures.”

 Kyla Galer can be reached at [email protected]