Working in Starbucks at the Memorial Union at the crack of dawn everyday provides very “interesting” experiences. One experience I did not expect however, was to hear a small group of doctoral students singing a song about community to the tune of “Twelve Days of Christmas.” From this jolly harmony echoing off walls, I gathered the students had a successful week.
I covered a story about 23 doctorate students who met with nine mentors from around the world at MU this week to discuss science teaching and learning. They met and held a series of discussions and workshops to help the students with their research.
Since I’ve been a barista for several years, I’ve been taught to keep the “coffee shop talk” alive. Daily, when the doctorate students would make their appearances during breaks between sessions for a tall cup of Pike Place or an iced grande non-fat hazelnut latte, I found myself asking about how everything was going.
The students I spoke with, such as Smith, who I mentioned in my article, said the conference was a “positive learning experience.”
Overall, the smiles and excitement that “sang” from their voices led me to observe the success of the week.
