Jake Lowy photo: Meghan Corbin is the chair of the Communication department and teaches classes in it.

At the moment you come into Meghan Corbin’s office, you breathe positivism. On her board, to the right, you can read a message that says, “I choose happy.” This message inspires happiness to me every time I come into her office.

Corbin has taught communication, business, management and marketing courses at Mercyhurst University.

All the classes that she teaches are her favorite, but one that she enjoys teaching the most is Strategic Communication. This is a communication course that students take during their senior year, and students get to work with clients. “I think for me this is the first time I see this level of confidence from the students,” Corbin said.

Corbin has three children. Ethan, the oldest is 12 years old, Rachel is 6, and Madeline is 4. She gets to enjoy the things that she loves with them.

Her favorite classes are Public Relations, but she is also interested in interpersonal communication.

Corbin chose communication because it was fascinating to her that there was a science and a theory behind communication.

The weirdest thing that has happened in one of her classes is when two alumni came back on her birthday and burst into the class singing happy birthday in the middle of the lecture. It took her by surprise but it was nice.

Teachers are also constantly learning from their students. Corbin has learned from her students their ability to balance work, school and life. She learned to see balance in life and the level of maturity of being able to handle that.

“I love the experience and application that students can bring,” Corbin said.

During her teaching career a moving moment she experienced was in a public speaking class. She had a student who approached her the first day and let her know that she was terrified of public speaking. When she had to make her first presentation, she got up and couldn’t present, and she started crying. Corbin worked one-on-one with her to prepare her to get through this. Her second speech was better, but for Corbin the best was the third and final speech. She got up and was able to overcome her fear. The most moving experiences for Corbin are those when the student realizes and their light bulb goes on.

Another moving experience for Corbin is graduation. The students that mean the most for her are the ones that struggled at the beginning and tried hard.

“When you see them walk across the stage it is such a sense of accomplishment,” Corbin said.

Those are the moments that make her keep coming back. She feels that more than a teacher she is a mentor for students.

The funniest thing she saw in class was when a student came in one day to class with a Hilary Clinton mask.

Corbin’s greatest motivation is her students.

“My motivation is the energy you students give me,” Corbin said.

She feels passionate and she enjoys teaching. Her whole demeanor changed when she interacted with students. She gets an experience that you would not get in the corporate world.

“I love to come to work everyday,” Corbin said
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Advice she gives to students is, “Hope is not a strategy.”

She also said that if you take one step at a time you’ll be shocked by what you can accomplish.

“You can do what you want to do but you have to be passionate about it, and put that passion in a plan and start working towards it. If you want to get somewhere get exited about it,” Corbin said.