What HAPS Means to Me

Becca Ludwig is an experienced HAPS blogger and brought us a series of five posts in March 2015 from the A&P student perspective.  Now we get to hear from her again, this time as successful graduate!  

I joined HAPS because my close mentor and A&P instructor encouraged me to attend the annual conference in Jacksonville Florida in 2014.  I was eager to jump at the chance.  Through many conversations with this particular professor, she saw that I had a desire to one day follow in her footsteps and teach A&P.  She was the first person who told me that I could teach.  It was not until then that I thought of being a professor as a career choice.

When I first attended the annual conference in 2014, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a strong network to support every member, including me. I was only a grad student at the time and just diving into my love for A&P and teaching. I did not think that there was much that I could offer.  

It was at this conference that I really started to seriously consider the possibility of becoming a professor. Everywhere I turned, I met or found new resources that could help me reach my goal.  There were amazing speakers, insightful and supportive colleagues, and interesting poster presentations. After the conference, I joined the Communication Committee and have enjoyed reading and writing blogs, finding the Friday funny for Facebook, reading into the histology challenge, and keeping up with the latest HAPS news.  I was integrated into the HAPS community and welcomed with open arms.

This unique network has connected me to so many people and opportunities and I am grateful to be taking advantage of this support. I can come to the annual conference and listen to perspectives and learn about potential routes to reach my ultimate goal of teaching.   It does not matter if someone is a first year professor or a veteran…everyone is open to learning new things and sharing their experiences.  This is what makes HAPS great!