Teacher's pride

Many years ago, in my previous life, somebody up there decided that universities needed to be managed like industry and business, and my whole department was sent to a worskhop where we learned that students were our customers and that we were delivering services. I don't think anyone was persuaded, but one question raised at that workshop was extended customer support. Did we know what happened to our students after they had taken their degree? Did we advertise our degree as having high employability? My colleagues looked at each other and at the workshop leaders and said that they had no idea. I couldn't let this just go by, so I waved my hand and said that I knew very well what happened to my students. They were all over the place: in publishing houses, research libraries, Swedish Children's Book Institute, Swedish Institute for Cultural Affairs, newspapers and cultural magazines, radio and TV, book award juries, and some had become successful children's writers. My colleagues stared at me. Apparently, we hadn't taught the same students.

I remembered this today when I saw a former student who has become a prominent figure at a major children's publisher. One of those things that make this job worth while.