Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2014 11:10 pm
Havasu News
Landscaping was a talent of Glen Anderson’s and something he did well enough to make a decent living until a terrible car accident disabled him. He could no longer do the work and sold his business.
Six years later, the 51-year-old Mohave Community College student walked into his psychology class and was assigned a project that started as an assignment and is now his next potential career move.
MCC Professor Ed Wignall challenged Anderson and the rest of his class to think of a project that reflects the best part of them while also helping others. He called it “The Best You,” and required his students to create a website or Facebook page for their respective projects.
Wignall said he wanted students to think of something “fun and easy,” something they’re good at doing. But for a few of his students, the project resulted in much more than a good grade.
Anderson decided to focus on providing landscaping tips for people using his expertise.
“I thought that I could help people starting their own business and homeowners,” Anderson said.
While developing the website, he discovered a way back into business minus the manual labor.
Anderson said he plans to expand the website and provide more information to people in regard to starting a business.
“At first it was a school project, but Dr. Wignall inspired me to go on with it and make it something bigger than just a school project and that it could possibly be my occupation if it grows,” Anderson said. “It’s exciting and the way the world is changing, I may have found my calling.”
For most professors, it’s ideal their students walk out of their classroom and apply what they learn to the real world. Wignall changed his approach to achieve that goal.
“I told the kids, once you start doing something from your heart, magical things happen,” Wignall said. “It’s kind of magic when you’re helping other people.”
Wignall said he noted quite a few successes among his students, including a man who was offered to start a hedge fun based on his stock trading website and a woman who was offered financial help to take her anti-bullying nonprofit to the next level.
Wignall said through his years of teaching, he’s found that most people don’t know what makes them different from others and that inspired the concept for the class project.
“The idea is that everyone is really special and has something to give,” Wignall said.
Jackie Speelman’s “something to give” is her love for kayaking.
Speelman, 53, is attending MCC to become a physical therapist assistant and is currently a caregiver.
She uses kayaking as her own form of therapy and wants others to share that outlet with her.
“I’ve been kayaking since 2000 and I’ve been through many different waters and it is a good way to get exercise,” Speelman said. “Whenever I’ve had a bad day, I’ve gone out on the lake. It makes your troubles go away.”
The Michigan native said kayaking also allows her to be one with nature.
“I had the kayak fever in spring and had to chip ice to get to open water,” she said.
Her project involved her offering kayak lessons to people so they could float their stress away. She thinks one day she will be able to combine what she does with what she loves.
“I love caring for people,” Speelman said.
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Saturday, December 20, 2014 11:10 pm.