Professor

“Awareness of the world, critical writing and thinking: These are things that the study of history provides us. And they develop skills that are transferable to many different areas of life.”

Teaching and learning. To Suzanne Borghei, they are one and the same. And any classroom she enters – as student or teacher—becomes a forum for dramatic exchanges and challenge. “I was just looking at all the courses in technical training offered to the faculty here, and they’re wonderful,” she says. “Getting involved in these things and improving myself means I’ll be able to bring much more into the classroom.” For Suzanne, the classroom is a place of ultimate collaboration.

“Teachers have to bring their own passionate interests in their subject with them, but there also must be energy and commitment from the students,” she says. “The interaction and energy comes from both sides. And when this happens, there’s a feeling of belonging to a group, and students interact and learn from each other, as well as from what I present them with. Each class has a way of developing its own personality,” she continues. “And it’s great when I get student comments that say they’re surprised at how smart they all are!”

Traveling throughout the world with her military family has given Suzanne a keen interest in US foreign relations. But her arrival in “world city Los Angeles” has also been an interesting case study for her. “All the cultures represented here have a lot of relevance for understanding the world at large. And I hope that my classes will inspire people to make their own ‘study’ of this fascinating city we live in.”

SMC U.S. History Professor Suzanne Borghei began full-time at SMC in Fall ’99. Welcome!

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