Instructor Spotlight

instructor spotlight Lia McConnell

AAGO’S world class education opportunities are made possible by countless volunteer instructors who share their valuable time and talents with students. This month, we sat down with Lia McConnell to talk about her experience teaching at AAGO.

Desir ee: How long have you been teaching classes at AAGO? LIA: I believe I have been teaching classes since late 2017.

Desir ee: What do you enjoy most about teaching classes at AAGO? LIA: The most amazing part of being an instructor is when you see a student have that “light bulb” moment. You can see it from across the class and the excitement that builds in the students and the classroom at that moment becomes contagious. Its exciting to see growth happen right in front of your eyes.

Desir ee: What is your favorite memory as an instructor? LIA: My favorite memory is when a former student reached out to me via email asking for some mentoring and advice. We had a great conversation and went about our ways. A year later I get an email thanking me for helping him further his career and announcing the amazing promotion he had just received. That was incredibly special.

Desir ee: Why do you think it is important to continue learning as an industry professional through the classes provided by AAGO? LIA: Knowledge is power. The more you know the more you grow. So many great quotes out there but the

most impactful one to me is “an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”. The classes provided at AAGO intertwine people from all different walks of our industry. You get a double dose of knowledge when you attend these classes because you not only get the expertise of the instructor, but you gain the knowledge shared by your peers within our industry. Where else can you get all that? This knowledge is priceless.

Desir ee: What are you looking forward to next? LIA: I am an eternal student myself; I equate knowledge to a sponge, there is always more if you are just willing to keep squeezing. I look forward to learning from my next group of students as much as I can. I plan to take in each experience because every day is an opportunity to learn something new from those around us. Embrace it.