Dr. Jenna Abetz: College of Charleston Professor speicalizing in Interpersonal Communication. Published resarch in outlets including Western Journal of Communication, Women’s Studies in Communication and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Mother of two.
Corinne: Why did you want to become a Professor?
I wanted to become a professor because I had amazing undergraduate mentors who invested in and cared about their students. College was a transformational experience for me–new ideas, new ways of thinking, professors and courses that challenged me. Bell Hooks talks about the classroom as the most radical space of possibility, and for me that’s what college was and should remain. I wanted to have a job where I could encourage new possibilities and ideas, to help students not just think differently about the world, but about themselves and what they’re capable of.
C: Can you give me a brief overview on what your day to day schedule is like?
My schedule changes depending on the day–some days are long campus and some days can be more flexible. I wake around 7 and help get my daughter ready for school. Tuesdays and Thursdays are long campus days this semester–teaching, office hours, grading, and meetings. I generally like to work on research when I’m off campus. I try to spend Monday and Wednesday mornings with my son, do school pick up for my daughter, and then work on research in the afternoon.
C: Did you ever feel like you had to choose between having a full-time career a family?
We recently talked about this my Family Comm class and how it’s a question that men rarely get asked. When I started here, my kids were 1 ½ and 4 months so it’s hard to envision it any other way. They’re 3 and 4 now and have made my work time very efficient and focused. I have never felt like I had to choose, probably because I had mentors who had families and successful careers throughout college and graduate school. It’s definitely not easy. My workday sometimes means I come home when they’re tired and cranky and they get the last bits of my patience. I love this job and engaging with students and I care about being present with my kids as well. I want them to see that both men and women can be caregivers and workers. I also think it’s important for students to see different models of what scholars look like.
C: What advice would you give to women and men who choose to have a full-time career and a family?
I think I would say to let go of unrealistic expectations, that nobody really has it all together all the time. It was and is hard to let go of those expectations. Sometimes your carefully planned schedule gets derailed when your kid gets sick or sometimes you have mac n’ cheese for dinner when the work is piling up. I’m still learning to manage how much I take on and figuring out the places to make compromises.
Photos from Jenna Abetz.