Michigan State University is fortunate to have passionate educators who are committed to enhancing the experience of their students and who help to provide the best education possible.
The Graduate School is featuring some of these educators – graduate and postdoc educators – every month to share their unique stories and perspectives on what it means to be a dedicated educator, how they’ve overcome educational challenges, and the ways they have grown through their experiences.
For October 2026, we are featuring Samuel Ofosu, who is a doctoral candidate in Packaging Science. In his writeup, Jordan talks about the importance adapting your approach, having grit, and continuously improving yourself.
What does it mean to be an educator at a university?
I always refer to teaching as a “service”, because being an educator at a university is a call to serve. I contribute to raising the next generation of professionals and intellectuals by creating an environment where their aspirations can be nourished and make sure every dream is nurtured.
This call, to me, comes with enormous responsibility and this challenges me to go the extra mile to continuously learn, develop myself professionally, understand the evolving teaching and learning environment to find better ways to support every student.
When you begin to see teaching as a service, the classroom will be one of your favorite places on earth. I may enter the classroom after a demanding day, but once I begin interacting with students, there is a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. Seeing students engage, ask questions, and understand a concept reminds me of why I enjoy teaching.
My aspiration as a university educator goes beyond delivering a course content but to make an enduring impact and leave a meaningful footprint on the lives of the students.
Challenges you have experienced and how have you grown from these?
One of the biggest challenges I have experienced is dealing with the feeling that comes when a student is struggling to understand a concept. Student success means a lot to me and when a student is having difficulty following what is happening in the classroom I try to understand what I can do differently. This challenge is very personal to me because I did not always consider myself a naturally fast learner.
Growing up, I saw myself as an average student and, at times, a slow learner. There were concepts I could not understand immediately and lectures I had to revisit repeatedly before they became clear. However, I never allowed that to determine what I could achieve. I learned to put determination, persistence, and hard work ahead of my difficulties. Those qualities have carried me through my academic journey. That experience has greatly influenced the educator I am today.
When I see a student struggling, I do not immediately interpret that struggle as a lack of ability. Instead, I try to understand what may be preventing the student from connecting with the material and what I can do differently as an educator. Sometimes that means explaining a concept in another way, providing additional examples, spending extra time with the student, or simply encouraging them not to give up.
I want all students to know struggling with a concept does not define your intelligence or potential. With the right support, effort and learning environment, every student can be the best version of themselves and make tremendous progress.
What value do you see in Teaching Professional Development?
Before getting involved with the GREAT Office, I was teaching out of passion and genuinely loved being in the classroom. However, I realized passion alone was not enough and in order to take teaching to the next level and become the kind of educator I aspire to be, I needed a family and a space where I could learn, reflect, exchange ideas, and nurture my passion. I am grateful for the GREAT family.
My participation in the Certification in College Teaching Institute (CCTI) was particularly important to my journey and helped me become more intentional about my teaching and better understand how to create meaningful learning experiences for students. Currently I have been accepted into the FAST fellowship program, and I am very excited about this next step in my development as an educator.
What is one piece of advice you would give other graduate educators?
As a graduate educator, you cannot give what you do not have. So, build and develop your skill, nurture your unique voice and strive to be the best version of yourself.
If teaching is your passion and something you want to do for rest of your life, do not let anything quench your passion. Keep showing up, keep giving your best, keep blessing students and keep going all out for the success of your students.
My food for thought: What will be said about you when you are not in the room?
What do you enjoy in your free time?
My experiences through the different seasons of life, the good, the bad, have deepened my compassion for others, especially those going through difficult times. As a result, I have developed a genuine interest in the well-being of people around me. In my free, I enjoy checking up on friends and family to see how they are doing, I try to offer help, pray with them and offer support whenever I can. I always look forward to checking up on someone, brighten their day and remind them that they are not alone.
What non-academic book are you currently reading/ or is a favorite?
I am currently reading Mastering Relationships by Joseph Mintah.
“You can lose any material or physical thing in life but if you have real and solid relationships you can bounce back again. But relationships must be serviced to derive the maximum benefit from them.”
I love this book because it contains nuggets that will help you service all manners of relationships.