This week I had the honor to interview a very special faculty member here at USF: Mr. Gregory Smith. Because the Franciscan Value of this school year is “Reverence the Unique Dignity of Each Other”, I took the opportunity to get to know more faculty members and introduce them to the students. Even though the questions asked are somewhat superficial, they bring a deeper feeling of appreciation and compassion towards the other. It is important to get to know the people around you and their stories. Some of them would amaze you.
Professor Smith started his journey at USF as a part-time teacher for undergraduate accounting courses, but he took a full-time job as a faculty member four years ago. If you have been to any business event, you have probably seen Mr. Smith before. He is highly involved with activities in the business school, but his favorite event is graduation. In his own words, “In my role as an accounting instructor, I meet almost everyone who majors or minors in the School of Business, so I have personal connection with many of them. It is inspiring to see students walk across the stage and remember how hard they have worked to achieve their goals.” Mr. Smith oversees the accounting program at USF and he is known for making the notoriously difficult courses seem simple.
When asked what his favorite course to teach is, he told me he enjoys teaching all accounting courses, but many people don’t know that he teaches French conversation courses to adult learners. Mr. Smith also teaches a French immersion course each summer. He says that “It is rewarding to see students gain confidence in their abilities, regardless of the subject matter.”
Right after graduating from college, Mr. Smith lived a year in Strasbourg, France and as he told me, “Strasbourg is the seat of the European Parliament, so it is very international. I enjoyed meeting people from all over Europe and around the world; many were drawn there for international studies and diplomacy.” His year living in France inspired him to start a French conversation class in Fort Wayne, and he said that in twelve years since it has started, “we have had people from Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada and the Caribbean join us, and all of them live in Fort Wayne! Our city is more international than many realize”. Professor Smith is right! We just have to look around and we can see the amazing diversity we have among us and how much that contributes towards a better society.
Mr. Gregory Smith attended DeKalb High School and graduated from Manchester University with a bachelor’s in accounting. During High School he was part of the debate and speech team, and during college he played racquetball, but not competitively. Before working at USF as a faculty member, Professor Smith was the controller at the Foellinger Foundation, a charity that provides financial support to other charities. He also worked at the Fort Wayne office of the public accounting firm EY, previously known as Ernst & Young. When I asked what his favorite trip was, he told me that he goes every year with a few students to watch the Montreal for the World Film Festival.
I am thankful for having the opportunity to tell you a little bit more about some of the great faculty members we have at our university. These interviews have helped me to realize how important it is to hold conversation with other people and show more interest about their lives. With the value “Reverence the Unique Dignity of Each Other” in mind, I hope you had a great school year with plenty of learning and new experiences.
