‘Teaching Has Made Me More Compassionate’

My parents didn’t go to college, but they always said to me and my brother, “Studia e ricordati che nessuno puo’ rubarti quello che hai imparato”—study, and remember that no one can ever take away the knowledge you’ve gained.

It was a constant reminder that education is important, and no one can ever take that away from us. They valued education and they knew that it would make us better citizens of the world. I’m grateful for that.

In my Ph.D. program, as someone with self-esteem issues, it was hard to be surrounded by so many bright people. I struggled, I failed my qualifying exams, and I had to wait a year before retaking them. I knew if I failed a second time I’d have to leave the program. I spent the entire year questioning the choices I’d made and wondering if I was good enough.

I made it through because I rarely leave things unfinished. When I was younger, I wanted to show myself that I could do it, even at the expense of stress and self-doubt. I have more compassion for myself now; I can say, “This is not for me, time to walk away.” But it is still not easy to do; I am very stubborn.

I love my research and to this day doing experiments excites me, but what I love more is mentoring students to become independent researchers. I know the importance of my publishing in the best journals and getting grants, but the most rewarding thing is to see my students grow and do great things. Sometimes they reach out to thank me for something I did, without my realizing how that one small thing had such impact.

Teaching has made me more compassionate. You start out expecting students to perform a certain way, then you realize they might be dealing with something more critical than an exam. Lately, a lot of students are juggling so much, to land the internship or the job. When I was their age, I certainly felt, “I have to keep pushing, otherwise I will miss the train.” But then you realize, not everything you want will happen, and life is still ok. That’s why I wish my students would take time to rest without constantly piling on more on their plate.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” That’s a quote I remind myself of, and there is a lot of truth in there. 

Ciao!

—Luisa Chiesa, professor of mechanical engineering, Tufts University School of Engineering

Our Tufts is a series of personal stories shared by members of the Tufts community and featured on both Tufts Now and Instagram.