Laurel Frautschi, an assistant professor of sociology at Illinois Central College, learned about the different segments of society at a young age. Born and raised on Long Island in New York, her family moved to a rural mountain area in North Carolina when she was 16. "I was used to a relatively fast pace of life and diversity, and then the move took us to a house on a dirt road next to a cow pasture in a town called Sugar Grove. I experienced what can only be described as culture shock," she said.

This was a defining point in her life, Frautschi said, and taught her some valuable life lessons. "I learned to make the best of any situation you find yourself in; that opportunities for growth manifest themselves often in unexpected ways; we don’t have as much control over our lives as we might like to think; and keep your options open."

The move directly impacted her decision to major in sociology. "I felt in many ways like I had entered another world," she said. "The manner of speech, the pace of life, the attitudes held, the perceptions of others who were ’different,’ the dreams-these were all so vastly different from what I had known growing up. I wondered how people could be so different when they were raised in the same country. The discipline of sociology assisted me in answering these questions."

She learned the lesson of keeping her options open when, during her last years of undergraduate study at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.-where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees-Frautschi got married and had her first son. "When trying to decide what I would do with this major, a number of factors played a part. First, I opted to concentrate in corrections. I spent a semester doing an internship with at-risk youth, but I realized I had a very difficult time leaving these kids’ problems at work. I knew I probably wasn’t cut out for counseling."

With this-and the birth of her son-in mind, Frautschi elected to work on her master’s degree, both to leave her schedule open for her family and to explore other career options. "I was offered a teaching assistantship-the chance to teach an Introduction to Sociology course. At first I was terrified, but I decided to accept it. After two weeks in the classroom, I knew I had found my calling. I loved the subject matter and the opportunity to challenge students and their way of viewing the world," she said.

After several other faculty positions, Frautschi came to ICC in 1997, where she currently teaches Introduction to Sociology, Social Psychology, and Adulthood and Aging courses. As a sociology professor, she’s pleased that one of the trends in education these days is diversity. "The attention to diversity acknowledges that in the educational system-especially in community colleges-students come from very different places-cultural backgrounds, learning styles, etc.-and these ’places’ impact how students learn. We need to be aware of differences and try to accommodate them as much as possible so no one is left out."

Because of this, Frautschi said she includes a variety of teaching techniques into her classes. "In my traditional, on-site classes, I incorporate some lecturing, class discussion, and small group activities. I utilize a variety of examples relevant to the students to illustrate concepts. I also utilize Blackboard as a supplement to each of my classes-which encourages computer literacy, another trend in education-in which I make available the PowerPoint presentations I use in class."

She said she wants students to come away from her classes with the message that we’re each a product of our environment, influenced by our experiences in a certain family, culture, racial/ethnic group, social class, as a male or female, etc. "People naturally tend to view the world from their own perspective, on the basis of their personal experiences. This is the vantage point we have, and, therefore, we tend to judge others accordingly. But the ability to empathize with others, acknowledging that they come from a different ’place’ than we do and have been shaped differently than we have, is so important. Trying to understand where others are coming from, while not necessarily accepting or agreeing with them, is instrumental in promoting peaceful relations between individuals, groups, and nations. In addition, once aware of the ability of society to shape us and our life choices, we’re empowered. As I stress to my students, we don’t have to fall prey to the typical social patterns that occur. We can and should be active participants in our own lives."

In addition to her teaching duties, Frautschi is a member of many community- and college-wide committees, which can make time management an issue. "Prioritizing is the most helpful strategy I utilize," she said. "My faith and my family come first. Keeping this in perspective, other things often simply fall into place. I’ve also learned the value of boundary setting-as much as possible, keeping my home life and work life separate. I try to get involved with activities and committees I enjoy and know I can either learn from or make a contribution to. Interestingly, I’ve also learned that role exiting-stepping down from a committee or backing out of an activity-and simply learning to say ’no’ can be very effective strategies when I’m overwhelmed. If I allow myself to get drained, I’ll be less effective in each realm of my life, and no one would benefit from that."

She said there are so many aspects of her job that she enjoys, including teaching a subject she loves and encouraging her students to examine their worldview. "I feel strongly about the message I communicate in my classes. When a student shares with me a situation in which they’ve applied the course information to their lives or that what they learned has helped them understand others better, it’s a wonderful feeling. As strongly as I feel about what I’m teaching, even more so, I simply enjoy getting to know my students. I work with such a diverse group of students, and I enjoy the opportunities I have to get to know some really neat people, both in the classroom and through my work as an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa. Also, this career path challenges me continually to keep up to date with research and to experiment with new methods of teaching the material. This is indeed the ’match’ I was looking for." TPW