Today, we at the Prospectus introduce you to one of Parkland’s most fascinating and exceptional professors: Kendra McClure. McClure is a communications professor who currently teaches a variety of communication classes including Intro to Mass Communication (COM-101), Basic News Writing (COM-105), Intro to Advertising (COM-121), and Intro to Public Relations (COM-122).
Life Before Teaching
McClure grew up in Covington, Ind. and attended Covington High School. She then attended Valparaiso University with initial aspirations of becoming a broadcast meteorologist. However, she later found herself more drawn to the field of communication. She expressed her thoughts at the time and said that she “enjoyed the weather side of things, but it was a lot of math and science … I struggled in those math and science classes. It was really tough, but I was loving my comm classes.”
McClure changed her major to public relations after discovering her passion for it in one of her communication classes in college. Going into more detail, she said,
“We spent a week on public relations writing, and I learned that public relations is a job that helps manage relationships among an organization and all of its audiences, and there’s writing and there’s a lot of emotion and I thought, ‘that’s it. That’s what I want to do’. So, that week, literally that week, I changed my major because it was just this lightbulb.”
Along with her newfound major in public relations, McClure also minored in business and public speaking. After graduating from Valpo with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, she landed an internship at a large PR firm in downtown St. Louis, where she helped develop campaigns for several major corporations.
“It was a big high rise building,” she says. “I was excited to go up 19 floors every morning and get off and do my job at the PR firm.”
As her internship came to a close, McClure decided that working in Public Relations was not something she wanted to do long-term, due to “some encounters with some media outlets that I perceived to be unethical that began to frustrate me.” She then decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Around that time, she met her husband, moved to Effingham and completed a Master of Arts degree in communication studies at Eastern Illinois University.
Why Parkland?
When asked why she chose to teach at Parkland, McClure mentions how she has always loved Champaign and the community college mission. “Parkland was definitely a place that I wanted to be,” she says. “I was very excited to learn there was a position open in the discipline around the time I was graduating.”
McClure also mentions how she took Spanish at Parkland while she was an undergraduate, and how that positive experience stuck with her. She said she remembered “…being impressed with both the classes and the campus while I was here … When it was time for me to think about where I wanted to find a teaching job after graduate school, Parkland was my top choice. It has the reputation of being a jewel in the community.”
McClure’s Favorite Thing About Teaching
When asked what her favorite thing about teaching has been thus far, McClure says that she most enjoys working with students. “I feel like I’m learning as much from them as they’re learning from me because the world is changing so quickly,” she says. “Within the communication discipline, there is always something new to learn.”
McClure mentions that her learning a lot from her students is due in big part to the discussion aspect of her classes. She encourages students to share their perspectives on the concepts and the way that they are interpreting them so that she can better understand where they are coming from.
“This hopefully increases the chances that we will find that balance of learning together and making sense of the content we’re covering in a way that is useful, relevant, and is tangible going to move the students forward in whatever goals they have.”
McClure also expresses that she enjoys teaching communication because its constantly changing nature helps us to make sense of what is happening in the world. Saying that, “Even though the way that we communicate changes day to day, the fundamentals of communication still stay largely the same. It’s a journey together that we take as a class to bring what is always going to be important about communication and merge with what’s new.”
McClure’s Advice to College Students
When asked what advice she would give to college students, McClure says, “Really take some time to reflect on your ‘why’. Reflect on why you’ve chosen to come to Parkland and take classes and why you chose the area of interest that you’re in.” She also states how students thinking about why they have chosen to be at Parkland can help them stay motivated in their studies.
McClure also highly recommends taking advantage of the resources that Parkland has to offer, such as tutoring, the learning commons, counseling, academic advising, and career services. She mentions how these services often help students find their ‘why’. “We have academic advisors who are all here to try to help you through those conversations,” she says. “They all provide resources for students as they try to answer some of those questions.”
McClure suggests to “map out your future, but do it in pencil.” It is helpful to have some general direction, but be open to the different things that might come up and be flexible with your plan for your future.
Closing Remarks
McClure’s dedication to her students is evident in her teaching. She enriches students’ understanding of the world around them and always has her door open for students to share their thoughts and ideas on the concepts that she teaches. She will continue teaching communication classes in the fall, so if you are in need of some communication credit, McClure’s classes are sure to set you up for success next semester.
