Editor’s Note: This letter was written in regard to H.C. Manning’s article published in Tuesday’s issue of The Reflector on passionate teachers.

I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in physics.  My ideal career after this point is a professorship position at a college or university. My work experience is much more geared toward teaching rather than research, and I have vowed to avoid making the same apathetic mistakes that some of my previous professors have made.
There’s often a clear distinction between the passion that grade school teachers have versus college professors.  MSU has done a very good job of hiring plenty of professors who care about their students and the impact they receive, but we still have a few who just aren’t there. 
It would be phenomenal if all the professors here have the same level of passion as their own previous teachers who, ironically, are responsible for getting these professors to the point where they are now.