Interview With an Adult Learner

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Recommended: Diversity of learning styles

In my interview I had the pleasure of conversing with an individual that was not only an adult learner but now also operates as an adjunct professor for adult learners at a university. Some might not realize the parallels of adult learners and yet still there are vast differences that impact both. It was refreshing to find an individual that was able to succeed as a professional, a student and most recently a professor at the same time. My goal is to introduce you my amazing interviewee and paint a vivid picture of his journey, his growth and through his challenges along the way. Surprisingly this interaction was able to take a lot of excuses and reasons of why a person would be to busy to go back to school.

After a 60 minute interview with Dr. Rob Geis, Director of Procurement at BayCare Health System, I was ready to take on the world. Dr. Geis completed his Masters and Doctoral degree at State University while working at BayCare. After completing the two advanced degrees he was promoted to Director. Currently he teaches two online classes at The University of Phoenix on Health Care management and procurement. As a director at BayCare Health System he has to hold trainings for potential vendors and current vendors along with the training sessions for employees that will directly intervene with the vendors of the behalf of the Health System. It was inspiring to see someone who has successfully blended three different adult learner experiences together; a student, corporate trainer, and adjunct professor.

Adult learning environments are quite different in the corporate world vs. an educational setting. Both can be in found in a lecture hall settings and both can have distracted learners; however there are ...

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After my time with Dr. Geis several questions and personal reflection of his journey began to rise. What pushes a man in his early 50s to go back to school to pursue a masters and then a Ph.D. while maintaining a successful career at a large corporation. Our lives are filled with excuses, disguised as reasons, why we can’t do or complete something. When in reality we only need one motivating force to overcome them all and accomplish our goals. Sometimes the fear of starting something again that we haven’t done for sometime causes us not revisit out past failures or incomplete goals in our lives. In one meeting with an exceptionally driven individual my commitment to overcoming obstacles is at an all-time high. Knowing that I only need one reason to succeed and an uncompromising commitment to overcome I am excited to see my future and reflect on my own journey.

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