For many professors, their love for teaching was clear from the beginning -- the allure of affecting change from the classroom was enticing enough to set them directly on the path towards being an educator. For others, however, the way to a rewarding and impactful career wasn't always the most obvious one -- a struggle that professor Adam Kaminsky finds familiar. 

Kaminsky started initially as an Accounting major here at COC, having set his mind on pursuing a career that he felt was equal parts respectable and practical. That changed, though, when he took his first public speaking class. Despite his struggle to overcome his fear of speaking in front of others, he embarked on a journey that would eventually lead to a degree in Communication Studies. 

“I started taking more classes that involved public speaking to try and desensitize myself to it, and it turned into me loving the idea of communication as a whole,” he says. “It was during these classes that I realized how impactful communication could be.”

Kaminsky decided to return to his home college campus after obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies, and later his Master's in the same field. As of 2007, he's been teaching at COC for 13 years -- and he never once had any doubts about returning to his roots.

He teaches several classes within the Communication Studies field here at the college, and on top of that, he's the Assistant Director to the Speech Team, he takes much joy in this fact. If you ask him, he's more than happy to share that he loves every aspect of his field, and as a professor and AD to the Speech Team, he has an excuse to do everything he loves professionally.

"I love everything about communication studies, but I also love how much I get to interact with students," he shares emphatically. "We get to have great conversations and hold tons of discussions that students enjoy, so it's perfect for me."

In both his professional and his personal life, he holds the mindset that everyone needs to figure out their "why" -- discovering intrinsic motivation, to Kaminsky, is a crucial part of experience both in and out of the classroom.

At home, he spends much of his time with his kids, jumping between the sidelines of basketball, baseball, and soccer field sidelines. Kaminsky himself is an active man as well, sharing his love of mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, and volleyball. As his wife, COC counselor Alisha Kaminsky can tell you her husband is a man who seeks out how to find how he can be the best version of himself in all aspects.

One of his life goals is to go heliskiing, which entails jumping out of a helicopter and skiing down a mountain -- a considerably more adventurous pursuit than his wife’s current bucket list goal of sleeping more than three to four hours in a night (a goal she’s held ever since the birth of her kids).

All in all, Adam Kaminsky is a man dedicated to his field, his family, and the confidence of those around him. In many ways, he’s brought the world of communication studies to the intersection of personal and professional success.

“When students leave my class, I want them to be willing to look at things a new way, and know that it’s okay to be uncomfortable sometimes,” he says. “I want to have helped them become better critical thinkers in every single way.”