The 2015 spring semester marked the exodus of many students who began new chapters of their lives. However, in the case of Dr. Elizabeth Latosi-Sawin, the spring semester marked the end of a career. For the many faculty members and students who had the pleasure of her company, the reality of her absence is began to sink in as the 2015 fall semester entered full swing.
Born in Rochester, New York, she grew up in Buffalo after her family moved there. For her, the rushing waters of Niagara Falls helped slow down the rush when things became too hectic.
Attending the University of Buffalo for her undergraduate studies, she originally opted for a degree in chemistry, later switching to history and finally to English, and she obtained her degree in three years. After a brief stint as a substitute teacher, she signed up for classes at the University of Iowa after being offered a four-year teaching fellowship. Just as she started working on her dissertation, her job opportunities became scarce. With that in mind, she turned down a one-year appointment at a university, instead signing a tenure track position with Missouri Western. Her career as a Griffon began in 1974, as she was finishing up school, balancing teaching while simultaneously studying for her graduate degree.
“It took me five years to finish my dissertation,” Sawin said. “Every weekend, every holiday, every summer, [I ran] back and forth to the University of Iowa library with what were non-circulating volumes on my topic.”
Sawin was certainly a busy woman. Besides teaching English in the traditional classroom, Sawin was instrumental as a founder for the Outdoor Semester Program. The program took students from the classroom to the outdoors. Students experienced first-hand activities like hiking and kayaking, then incorporate those experiences into daily journal entries and more developed writings later. It became perhaps her fondest endeavor as an instructor: bringing students of differing disciplines of study together to focus on various topics that pertained to all-involved fields.
“She was an exceptional writing teacher; she was enthusiastic, determined, had high expectations which students would exceed,” Jim Grechus said, who taught at Western and was also crucial to bringing the Outdoor Semester Program to life.
Challenging her students seemed to be a pillar of Sawin’s teaching methods. Asking questions instead of lecturing was one of her tried-and-true methods to stir thoughts inside the classroom.
“I was always amazed with how she could get them to write,” Grechus said. “Sometimes they would inspire other students and even faculty.”
Students could also expect to be taught on a one-on-one level, another aspect of her teaching style. Showing students that she cared for them was arguably why so many did well in her classes.
“You get a lot of personal attention with her,” said Dr. Susie Hennessy, Head of English and Modern Languages. “What she’s interested in is engaging with students to help them explore ideas and to learn how to express themselves better.”
For colleague and former student Dr. Bill Church, Sawin was highly unique. The out-of-the-box methods in which she thought about things were inspirational to her students.
“It was like being in the presence of a tornado all the time,” Church said. “It was just that energy she gave off, and all the students responded to that – that blend of creative and scholarly, and yet openness to our questions.”
Sawin’s love for education extends well beyond teaching her students. When she isn’t spending time with her grandchildren, she continues educating herself. Sawin never ceases reading and routinely watches a show called “Book TV”, further shaping her mind. For her, being retired is no excuse for letting the mind become dull. In addition, her plans include writing memoirs covering her life as an educator and the unique obstacles and opportunities she experienced during her career.
“This first year [of retirement] will be punctuated with a lecture or a concert here and there that I can catch at the University of Missouri Columbia, since that’s where [my family] lives,” Sawin said. “But barring that, depending on the second year and how things go, I actually had plans. I have boxes of materials that are associated with all the things we did with Outdoor Semester, so now I have to figure out how I write about that.”
As someone with as much teaching experience as Sawin, it seemed only fitting that she provide prospective educators with some sound advice.
“You have to love your subject as much as you love your student,” Sawin said. “You have to love both. You’re the one who is connecting them.”