Christopher Adamczyk

By Ty Peavy

Georgia College & State University has a storied history of preparing students for on-campus success and beyond. Christopher Adamczyk is a perfect example of this.

Adamczyk, an Atlanta native, graduated from GC in the spring of 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric. He now is an assistant professor in the Department of English at Farmingdale State College in New York. His path to teaching, though, was not always straightforward.

Adamczyk, who earned a master’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric at Texas Tech University and a doctoral degree in communication and rhetoric at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, said he was drawn to rhetoric because he loved speeches, and when he was researching college rhetoric programs, GCSU was the first one he found. He graduated from college right after the economic crash of 2008, so finding a job was extremely difficult; however, he said, he managed to keep persevering and finding jobs despite the challenge.

“There was nothing,” Adamczyk remembered. “My classmates and I always thought we would just finish college and get a job, but there was nothing.”

Eventually, Adamczyk found a job doing demolition work for a couple of weeks before transitioning into working for the Democratic Party of Georgia – helping with fundraising. Fast forward a few years, Adamczyk eventually ended up at Farmingdale State College as a rhetoric professor.

Adamczyk said there is irony in the fact that he is now a professor.

“I never saw myself going back to school after I graduated college,” said Adamczyk, “but I discovered I loved learning and having thought-provoking discussions, so going back to teach was right for me.”

Adamczyk now teaches rhetoric, public speaking, advanced speaking and science fiction at Farmingdale, which is located about an hour away from New York City. He said he has a profound appreciation for