Our greatest teachers: CKPers weigh in on those who shaped their careers

There’s something about World Teachers Day that squares with our beliefs at CKP. Learning, after all, is one of our core values and we live by its true meaning. Learning is embedded in our processes; we research, execute, measure and tweak everything we do to ensure we’re staying on top of the changing landscape of marketing and communications. Learning is also an important principle of CKP’s culture that fuels team growth and development.

World Teachers Day is celebrated on Oct. 5. The day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation that set up standards for teachers and learning environments.

At CKP, we’re honoring World Teachers Day by sharing some of the most important lessons that shaped our personal and professional journeys.

“The most influential educator in my life was my teacher and running coach Pat Wagner. He had incredible influence on me and hundreds of other young women, inspiring us to push beyond our bounderies and exceed our limits—both physically and mentally. He taught me character, integrity and tenacity. And although he is no longer here on earth to keep teaching, his legacy lives on through the many women he coached and who still live out the values he instilled in so many of us.”

Mary Faucett, Account Manager, on running coach Pat Wagner, Liberty Benton High School, Findlay, Ohio.

“When I was working full-time and paying my own way through my undergrad at the University of Houston-Downtown years ago, I struggled with whether or not to pursue a Master’s Degree in English and be an English professor or to pursue a Master’s in Communications and become a public relations counselor. One evening in class, Dr. Henry Roubichek made this point sharing some wisdom that had been given to him: ‘You work most of your life five days a week and sometimes it rains on the weekend. Do what you absolutely love, and somehow you’ll find a way to be paid enough for it.’ He was paraphrasing someone else and he attributed that person. I don’t recall where it originated, but I never forget that he shared it. I immediately changed some of my course selections and applied for the communications and public relations Master’s programs at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Houston and was accepted to both—taking the risk on the slightly more ‘dangerous career’ path. Never once have I regretted taking this advice, and I’ve passed it along to others as well!”

Jennifer Evans, Director of Brand Operations, on Dr. Henry Roubichek, University of Houston-Downtown.

“An education in a creative pursuit gives you many skills beyond the mechanics of the art form. Growing up as a classical musician, I learned that making sense of printed music began by observing clues on the page—markings, composer notes, references—and then layering historical context to devise a convincing interpretation. My flute studio teacher Bonita Boyd insisted that everything had to have meaning, a reason and a purpose to connect emotionally with the audience. And that process translated seamlessly in my work in marketing and communications.”

Joel Luks, Director of Brand Marketing, on Bonita Boyd, Professor of Flute at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester.

“My first grade teacher, Nancy Davis, holds a special place as one of my favorite teachers. She taught our class the importance of inclusivity. It wasn’t a lesson or something that we had to work toward. It was the norm. It was the environment that she created in the classroom, and the leadership she displayed that made it natural. Our class was full of kids of all shapes, sizes and colors, including a little girl with Down syndrome. At that age, children start to notice things and friendships and cliques can start to form. Children with special needs were probably the most easy to identify as ‘different’ but not in our class. We were all different, and we were all inclusive. This little girl continued on with me to the second grade and then stayed back and ended up in my sister’s second grade class the following year. I remember thinking how lucky my sister was to have my friend in her class. They too included her and made her feel nothing less than a part of the group in part due to the culture that Ms. Davis fostered. Inclusivity is something that all children should learn at a young age, and in a place like the classroom where others see it, it can be contagious. I know there are other Ms. Davises in the world, and I hope this lesson continues to spread as future generations enter the school system.”

Julia Davis, Account Manager, on Nancy Davis.

“I had no shortage of incredible professors at Houston Baptist University with whom I was lucky enough to spend hours with year after year, building relationships with and discussing some the most important things a person can: God, art, philosophy and life. These conversations over the years definitely made me the person I am today, however, there is one lesson that was drilled into me by Professor Jesse GrothOlson that I still think about at least once a day, years after graduating: ‘If you’re on time, you’re late.’ I remember laughing the first time he said this in class, and he was quick to let me know that he was not joking. If you want to be taken seriously, if you want your voice heard, and if you want to be as prepared as possible for anything and everything that will come your way in the chaos that is adult life, you will always show up early or count yourself late. I think of this philosophy every time I leave my house, and while I haven’t been early to every meeting, I can say with absolute certainty that even a mere five minutes can make all the difference in the world.”

Madison Sowell, Account Associate, on Assistant Professor of Cinema and New Media Arts Jesse GrothOlson, Houston Baptist University.