Memories of Jaworski
Yesterday I turned 28, it means that its been 2 years since the memorial service of my mentor and friend Professor Joseph Jaworski. I think about him often and he is usually an inspiration of how I want to treat people in life. He was such a generous, loving soul and I strive to be that, but also as quirky as he was.
I had the pleasure of taking 2 classes with him and they were always entertaining. its strange, but i feel like even though some of the things that he did might have been irritating, I found his actions to be endearing, rather than the opposite. I remember a lab test that he gave once and instead of waiting for an egg timer to go off, he strummed his banjo every 2 minutes to let us know we needed to move to a new station. while at first glance, this can make someone angry, it actually helped relieve some tension in the room. Lab tests are always so stressful and important to your grade you often are stressed and angry and pretty much everyone you see. That simple act very quickly lightened the mood and gave everyone a lasting memory.
As his microbiology lab assistant, he would tell me amazing stories that most students didn't get to hear, mostly surrounding his auto-clave. and mostly how Dr Newhouse repeatedly tried to use it to cook various dishes, like steamed fish or chili. He was always willing to discuss his new hobby on interest, whether it was fly fishing, his button collection, or the time he discovered "the youtube". Jaworski wanted to invest in your life, and he also wanted you to invest in his.
He had a loving heart, and it would be remiss if I didn't mention his strong faith, Jaworski had a servants heart and he ministered to his students any way he could. Some of us more than others, but i know that if you had a biblical question we would always be willing to answer it. and share some wisdom beyond that.
I usually referred to him as "Sir", but that was never without affection or amusement in my voice. I could tell he knew too, because it was usually when he was being just a little too quirky for the moment and he would smile.
He was truly a wonderful man, and I miss him often. Honestly I cherish the fact that his memorial was on my 26th birthday, I will never forget him, and I try to tell as many people as possible about him.
Here's to you Professor, with lots of daughterly love,
(PS If you read this whole thing, thanks for bearing with me. My blog will return to normal posts soon (ish).)
I had the pleasure of taking 2 classes with him and they were always entertaining. its strange, but i feel like even though some of the things that he did might have been irritating, I found his actions to be endearing, rather than the opposite. I remember a lab test that he gave once and instead of waiting for an egg timer to go off, he strummed his banjo every 2 minutes to let us know we needed to move to a new station. while at first glance, this can make someone angry, it actually helped relieve some tension in the room. Lab tests are always so stressful and important to your grade you often are stressed and angry and pretty much everyone you see. That simple act very quickly lightened the mood and gave everyone a lasting memory.
As his microbiology lab assistant, he would tell me amazing stories that most students didn't get to hear, mostly surrounding his auto-clave. and mostly how Dr Newhouse repeatedly tried to use it to cook various dishes, like steamed fish or chili. He was always willing to discuss his new hobby on interest, whether it was fly fishing, his button collection, or the time he discovered "the youtube". Jaworski wanted to invest in your life, and he also wanted you to invest in his.
He had a loving heart, and it would be remiss if I didn't mention his strong faith, Jaworski had a servants heart and he ministered to his students any way he could. Some of us more than others, but i know that if you had a biblical question we would always be willing to answer it. and share some wisdom beyond that.
I usually referred to him as "Sir", but that was never without affection or amusement in my voice. I could tell he knew too, because it was usually when he was being just a little too quirky for the moment and he would smile.
He was truly a wonderful man, and I miss him often. Honestly I cherish the fact that his memorial was on my 26th birthday, I will never forget him, and I try to tell as many people as possible about him.
Here's to you Professor, with lots of daughterly love,
(PS If you read this whole thing, thanks for bearing with me. My blog will return to normal posts soon (ish).)
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