Page 2-Fourth Issue August 2017

Faculty Spotlight:

Karen Henderson

By Joy Wiggins
Joy.Wiggins@mail.umhelena.edu

As students of Helena College, we all know how great the teachers are. We thought sharing some of their stories and inspirations would be fun, and students would get to know them a little bit outside the classroom. Each month we will have a question and answer session with one teacher. This month we chose Karen Henderson. She is one of our General Education/English teachers and a hiking enthusiast. 

Q. What is your educational background?

 I hold a master’s degree in English from MSU (2009) and a BA in English education from MSU (2007) and a minor in School Library Media from MSU (2007). This means I can teach K-16, and that was planned to make me more marketable in terms of getting a job. I also have graduate credits from UM and from Walden University. I was a nontraditional college student, beginning my college career at the age of 41, and I was a mediocre high school student.

Q. What are you currently reading for enjoyment? 

I am reading three books right now: The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss; Where the Wind Can Find It, a collection of short stories by our own Ben Nickol; Fifty Shades Freed. Don’t judge.

Q. What interests do you pursue outside the classroom? 

Aside from reading, the obvious, I love outdoor activities. I love hiking and kayaking, my two favorite activities. I also love music and theatre and live entertainment of all kinds. I enjoy lots of different kinds of activities and am always busy.

Q. When did you decide to become a teacher, and why did you choose this field?

I worked as a school secretary for nine years in the Shields Valley, which is just east of Bozeman. I worked in a K-12 district, and I loved the little kids, but I also loved the teenagers (gasp!). I found my calling there, and when I enrolled in MSU at the age of 41, I had no doubts whatsoever that teaching was my calling. I have since learned that I really love teaching college.

Q. What is your favorite four-legged creature and why?

I’m very partial to dogs, but I cannot explain why except to say that I am very allergic to cats. I also have a bird, which technically has only two legs, but he is my companion now. I’ve had him for twenty years. His name is Leo. Dogs are very affectionate animals, and I believe they experience emotions very similar to ours. That’s probably why I love them so much.

Q. If you could have a meal with anyone who would it be and why? 

Wow…the Dalai Lama because he seems to be one of the happiest people on earth despite the responsibilities of his position. I greatly admire the philosophy of Buddhism, which suggests that pain is the result of attachment to things or people. I am very susceptible to attachments (mostly to people), and I know I’d be happier if I could more closely follow Buddhist philosophy.

Q. Where is your favorite place to eat?

I’m a vegetarian, so my favorite place to eat is On Broadway. They have good food and a wide selection of vegetarian options.

Q. In your opinion, what is the best Disney movie to come out? 

I haven’t seen many of the new movies, but Beauty and the Beast is my favorite and the only one I own on DVD. There are a lot of things I love about that film, including the premise that love can prevail, and that reading is fun, but the music is also fabulous and who can resist Mrs. Potts and Chip?

Q. What kind of music are you into? Who is currently your favorite?

I listen to everything from Staind to classical. It all depends on my mood and what I’m doing. When I grade papers, I listen to classical instrumental, but when I run, I listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd or Nickleback.  I also enjoy folk music and Sinatra. My tastes are very diverse.

Q. What is the funniest thing to have happened to you recently?

Despite the fact that I have a very good sense of humor and love to laugh at myself, I couldn’t think of any answer to this question.

Q. What is your favorite saying?

It is what it is.

Q. Who has inspired you in your life and why?

Many of my teachers and college professors inspired me, and my friends always inspire me, but today, I am most inspired by students. I see the challenges and the harsh conditions some students experience, and yet they keep trying and have hope that things will improve. Sometimes they even thank me for doing my job, and I’m very moved by those expressions of gratitude. Whenever I have a pity party for myself, I think about the students who have so many struggles and difficult circumstances, and that brings me back to reality.

Q. What is your favorite memory from your childhood?

That’s a hard question: I remember being very excited for Sunday nights because The Wonderful World of Disney was on in the evening, and I loved it. We usually had a really good meal on Sundays, too. I also remember my pets: I had a parakeet, a hamster, and a dog named Spooky.

Q. What would you do if you won the lottery?

First, I would get a financial advisor. Secondly, I would pay off my mortgage, which is the only debt I have. Next, I would go crazy and buy some shoes, some clothes, some furniture and a new car. Then I would get up and come to work. People need a purpose in life in order to make life meaningful. Winning the lottery would relieve me of the cares of providing for myself, but it would not give my life meaning: teaching does that for me.

Q. What is one thing you will never do again?

Smoke cigarettes. I began smoking in about 1975, or before, and continued on and off until 1996. Quitting was one of the most difficult things I ever did, and now I find it quite disgusting, but I’m sure I could be addicted again after only one or two cigarettes.