From Tragedy to Impact
Episode 5 — Ann Marie Marlier, PhD
“I am so sorry, but there has been an accident” — it began with a simple phone call uttering the worst words the will forever be ingrained in her mind.
In this memorable Episode #5 of the Art of Complexity, your host Roy Adams interviews colleague, friend, and educator Dr. AnnMarie Marlier. Together, they demystify the secrets behind the power of relationships through the lens of higher education in, From tragedy stems the birth of the “special project queen”.
Best way to truly understanding something — is to teach it to someone else-31:18
As the crazy kid who always asked questions, read books and sought to understand the truth, Dr. Marlier knew from a very young age she wanted to become a teacher. As a good speller who insisted on grading papers, she also helped classmates struggling to understand the material. Fast forward fifteen years, AnnMarie is an avid young college student with a thirst to make a difference!
However, shortly after graduating tragedy strikes and her parents were involved in an accident that unfortunately took both of their lives. Thrust into adulthood at the tender age of 23, AnnMarie knew she had to take care of her younger sister who was still in college at the time. During this period in her life, AnnMarie peeled away the layers of her relationship she had with her parents learning how much they influenced her nature and ingrained the need to see that people come first before other things. With her life coaches gone, AnnMarie learned “you never know what is going to happen — you must always be prepared.”
Overwhelmed with the thought of never seeing her parents again, AnnMarie knew she had to create a legacy for others to follow. Around that same time, she began working in student affairs as a resident life director that organized student groups, scholarships, and strategic programs. Eight years on she enjoyed the work, however, disliked the direction the institution was heading so chose to step away. With odd jobs here and there, the lore of students called her back to academia and AnnMarie found her calling in adult education.
Seeking to enrich the complexity of higher education in urban areas, AnnMarie Now holds her Ph.D. in Urban Education with an emphasis in Adult, Continuing, and Higher education. With a large number of fluid variables within an urban landscape, Dr. Marlier tackles the complex issue of dealing with the social-economic impacts one’s environment has on their ability to learn.
You never know what is going to happen — you must always be prepared- 11:10
Taking many approaches, Dr. Marlier knew in order to make a real impact her students should leave the class with more questions than answers. In fact, AnnMarie believes it is not her duty to tell her student what to do or how to think, rather develop those traits so that each student can begin to question/learn for themselves. With a shared belief that the higher you go within an organization the more basic tools you must apply, Dr. Marlier helps uncover the power of relationships, the strength of true outcomes, and how going back to the basics will help you frame your complex problems.
Key Takeaways:
- Within the realm of higher education, keen interest is placed on forming unique bonds and relationship with students and/or colleagues before the ideology of subject matter expertise, and content creation is considered.
- To Educators, Professional relationships create pathways for them to help guide and ultimately empower their students and/or colleagues to succeed.
- Higher up you go, the more knowledge of combined assets you must have. As a leader, whether corporate, military, or academia you need to know how to develop, manage, and facilitate the large array of assets to achieve the overall outcome.
- Establish your legacy… asking yourself this, “What is your legacy going to be?”
So Lean in, and peel back the layers as we unpack higher education in this week’s episode of the Art of Complexity with Dr. AnnMarie Marlier.
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