Stanislaus State students and faculty recently answered the question: what motivates you? They hoped to share and encourage the campus community to reflect on what motivates them.
Zoe Zuidema (senior, Liberal Studies) shared what motivates her throughout her college experience.
“My parents are my biggest motivators,” she said. “They are the hardest working people that I know and I want to make them proud.”
We often times can lack motivation in the midst of certain life circumstances, and school can sometimes be overwhelming. English professor Karen Zandarski shared what motivates her from a professor’s point of view.
“As a teacher what motivates me is student learning,” she said. “I’ve seen many instances in my life where education is life changing for people, but not just a grade or a degree, real knowledge and the compassion and desire to make the world better that comes with that knowledge.”
Zandarski believes that the ability to think critically about problems and solutions is essential to a well-ordered society.
“As students learn and become strong critical thinkers, I believe the world will become a better place,” she said.
Zandarski finds motivation outside of the classroom also.
“Outside of the classroom, I personally am motivated to make the world a better place and I think small successes create a snowball effect,” she said. “I try hard to practice sustainability in my life, specifically reduce and reuse, and think about my own footprint. I am motivated to help other people.”
Everyone has a potential motivator in their life, and Abby Stevens (junior, Liberal Studies) shared her side of motivation.
“What motivates me is having people in my life that support me and guide me to achieve my goals and dreams that I have,” she said.