Everyone has that one teacher in their youth that changes the direction of their life and opens doors to new and exciting perspectives on the world. Nico Bethel was that teacher for me. Nico was my anthropology professor in high school; she introduced me to a subject that was foreign to me when I got to the school and eventually became my main area of study in university and the grounding framework for the work I do now. But Nico didn’t just teach. She encouraged exploration, questioning, argument. She encouraged play.

There were no lectures in class: instead, there were vivid discussions, role-playing, field trips, and self-guided learning. We were encouraged to do our learning outside the classroom — to bring theory into practice by observing daily interactions on campus and subsequently engaging in analysis. Motivated by Nico’s passion for the subject and her ability to understand the unique learning styles of each and every single one of her students, I came to the realization that the study of human society and culture was truly what I wanted to do when it came to pursuing post-secondary education.

Today, I want to thank Nico Bethel for being inspirational.

Nico Bethel’s ability to think of creative ways to explore and approach learning and teaching is something I strive for constantly. I strongly encourage you all to check out Nico’s blog and her essays on life if you haven’t seen them already. They have been, and continue to be, and inspiration to me.

Every Sunday for the next little while, I’ll be writing one or two paragraphs about people that inspire me as a kind of thank you for making me want to do and be better. Who inspires you?