Gene was interviewed back on May 26, 2021, by Michael Howard and that interview can be found here on the Commodore Waves. Gene has been a classmate of mine and we have participated in several group projects together over the last couple of years. After reading the previous article I thought it would be nice to follow up with Gene and see how his experience has been at the College since his last interview and to find out what advice he can offer to those thinking about applying to Gulf Coast as well as those who already attend.
When it comes to his education, Gene is still on the same path for obtaining his bachelor’s from Gulf Coast State College in Digital Media with Web specialization. He has determined that he will continue his education by enrolling in the necessary master’s program to become a professor of both digital media and computer programing. Regarding opening his own digital marketing company, he will continue to freelance. Once he becomes a professor, he can see himself pursuing the development of his own company somewhere along the line. He plans to remain open to new technologies as he furthers his education and is committed to being a lifelong learner.
When reflecting on his time at the college over the last two years he shared that all the projects provided something that he will be using in real life one way or another. After deciding he wanted to teach it has helped him take a whole different perspective on the way he is learning not only paying attention to the material itself but how the concepts and skills are being taught. Gene participated in a couple of Stukent simpternships as course work for a couple of his digital media classes and felt they were enlightening but challenging, we both agreed that some good advice on these platforms is to take them seriously, record your steps because you are not able to reflect on them once you submit your round. This way you can take the results they provide you at the end of the round and go back and reflect on your own actions. The little words can mean a lot in these simulations so just pay attention to all the details.
When talking about his work with the Commodore Productions Team, he absolutely loved being apart of this team. I could tell how much passion he felt for this as soon as he began to tell me about it. He explained that he did apply again to be on the team and is hopeful that he will be back on in the spring considering this Fall 2023 semester is almost over. Gene still encourages others to join the Commodore Productions team, exclaiming, “that you won’t regret it!”. He explained that the hand on experience is worth it especially if you want to get into production, and how it is beneficial to be able to list on your portfolio.
Because he loved his time on the commodore productions team I wanted to know if any experiences from his time with Commodore Productions had an impact on the change in his career path and he told me the story of how it did. One of his tasks while being a part of this team was to be available to tutor anyone that might come in for help with web design and even though no one came, being exposed to this type of responsibility encouraged his desire to become a professor.
Since genes last interview he has not necessarily learned new technologies but has learned to become even more efficient and more seasoned with the technologies that are being used today. Notably since the last interview he has become more familiar with project management by utilizing it in both his school materiel and work material.
When it comes to his single favorite thing about Gulf Coast state college he did not know where to start but raved about the teachers and how affordable the tuition is when compared to other colleges. Gene refused to name a favorite professor I did get him down to two, but I promised it would be off the record. It is fair to conclude that Gulf Coast has amazing professors. If his job was to recruit adults that work fulltime to enroll in college and advise them on whether they should take some random online degree or obtain a degree at Gulf Coast State College. Gene would explain the value of having a relationship with the teachers and the support of a physical campus both with the flexibility that is offered online. With an online degree you can’t be too sure what you are going to get but Gulf Coast is a State College and is held to a higher standard that individuals should take into consideration. This is something that could set you apart when applying for a job even if you take most of your classes or all your classes remotely at Gulf Coast he explained “you are still graduating from a state college.”
Gene can be seen rolling around the Advanced Technology Building ,so I wanted to get his take on how accessible the college campus is for individuals with mobility impairments. While he acknowledged that everyone has different handicaps with different levels of ability that for him the technology building is the friendliest. When it comes to the campus, he explained that the bathrooms are accessible, there are ramps all over the place, and that the elevators work. He advised that the only exception is the bathrooms in the older buildings and the cafeteria they are not as accessible as the other bathrooms but offer accessibility.
Gene said the college’s accessibility services office is very supportive when it comes to providing accommodations and assistance that they will “absolutely work with you” but it comes down to communicating with them. He advised that as a college student it is your responsibility to know what accommodations you need and to communicate that to them. He said that they offer many resources and some he did not even know of until recently so the best thing to do is to get in touch with them and ask them. The student accessibility resources are in the same building as the cafeteria passed the help desk where you go to get your student Id, they can point you in the right direction. Some of the resources included are tutoring and being able to check out things like recording devices and laptops. He said if it is needed to help achieve your education goals it is possible that they will be able to assist in some manner and not to be apprehensive about explaining your needs or asking for help because that is what they are there for.
Gene is still on track; his goals have grown and when he completes his education, he will become a college professor in the very field he is studying at Gulf Coast State College today. Gene wanted to advise all potential students including those with disabilities and those who must work full time to “just enroll and see where it goes you won’t regret it”.
