COC’s faculty may be familiar with Professor Tricia George, who teacher within the English department here at the college. What may come as a surprise, however, is that her areas of expertise extend far further than her love for literature and teaching. Before she was an expert in the field of English, George received her B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. This degree is undoubtedly a far cry from her later pursuits as an English professor. She graduated with her M.A. in English in 2007, and then in 2014 received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Tennessee.

It was during her time at the University of Tennessee that she was first introduced to the world of teaching, having taught as a part of her Ph.D. coursework. Later down the line, when she first began teaching an introductory English class in 2017, George realized that she loved the dynamic, creative aspect of teaching, and it was enough to encourage her to pursue it as a full-time career. “I guess I had never thought of myself as a teacher, so that had prevented me from thinking about being a professor as well,” she says. “When I reached the classroom, however, I loved working on complex ideas with my students as we all churned through the material together.” As of right now, George teaches a few different English courses here at COC, including English 103, English 250, and English 251. As a professor at a community college, she finds it necessary to reassure her students that nothing should intimidate them in their educational journey – her best advice is to "just keep putting one foot in front of the other," and "taking small steps will gradually lead to a fulfilling and rewarding future."

"College is a time to sift through what we think we know, find our priorities, and think about crafting the world into a slightly better version of itself," she shares. "I hope all students get to experience that to some degree." Though she may be an expert in all things English (and, more specifically, medieval and Renaissance literature), George is the first to admit that there are specific skills that she yearns to become more adept with – the first of which being parenting, because, in reality, is anyone ever a real expert on parenting?

George comes home to her husband and niece every evening, and she’s made it a priority to spend time with her family through activities like gardening and interior design. She’s also an avid fan of the outdoors, as is evident through her enjoyment of hiking and rock climbing. On her list of goals for the future is an endless travel itinerary, which includes plans to visit Scandinavia, Hawaii, Italy, Switzerland, and more. Much of her life thus far has been spent navigating the intersection of her personal and professional lives, and though she knows she has a lot to learn, she's embracing the journey with open arms.