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I’ve gotten word that today is @stephenWalt’s birthday. In celebration of that, a thread about his mentorship:
1/Steve advised me when I was an undergraduate at @uchicago. I ended up loving Chicago, but I often felt horribly out of place.
2/ I had gone to a good high school, in what was then rural Ohio, but didn’t have the same background as my peers. A professor made fun of me when I called Claude Levi-Strauss “Strauss” in my first paper.
3/ I didn’t have a good sense of how to “do” college. My dad had an advanced degree, but attended engineering schools throughout. My mom had a high school degree. I struggled my first year, but I never went to office hours or talked to TAs.
4/ I was stressed and distracted. My dad had been out of work for two years when I started college. I paid my way through college (with, thankfully, a lot of grant and scholarship aid), and worked throughout. It was at a job that I met Steve’s amazing wife, @_RebeccaStone_.
5/ When Rebecca heard about my interest in security studies, she told me I needed to go to Steve’s office hours. I went with an agenda. Literally. I printed it out and handed it to Steve. I didn’t want him to think I was wasting his time.
6/Steve was gracious. He became my senior thesis advisor. He demanded a lot from me. But he also supported me at every turn. When I floated the idea of graduate school, he jumped on it.
7/ I was clueless, but it didn’t matter. Steve explained the process and told me where I should apply. He contacted every single one of his contacts. When I got into places, he guided me through where I should go (though very much let it be my own decision).
8/ Today, I’m a full prof (indeed, as of July 1, a named chair). I would not have had my life without Steve’s support. I couldn’t even have imagined this life without his mentorship. For that I am extraordinarily grateful, and committed to pay that forward. Thank you Steve.
