By America Ginez, JRN 111 Student
With her poised way of speaking and gentle smile, literature and communications professor Sandra Beauchamp has been an important character in the stories of so many people at Moraine Valley–students and faculty members alike.
Panshula Ganeshan was a student when he first met Beauchamp. She invited him to become a writing tutor and was an avid supporter of his own writing.
“She took time out to listen to my poetry, and she encouraged me to continue creating,” said Ganeshan, who is now teaching communications at Moraine Valley himself. “Without her influence and support, I would not be where I am today.”
Ganeshan is just one of many people inspired by Beauchamp and her love of both teaching and art. Within minutes of talking to her, anyone would be moved by her poetic expressions.
“She took time out to listen to my poetry, and she encouraged me to continue creating. Without her influence and support, I would not be where I am today.”
Panshula Ganeshan
Her influence has quietly rippled through the college for 23 years. As the person who trains new faculty, she has touched countless lives both directly and indirectly.
Beauchamp chose to accept a job at Moraine Valley despite the fact that the campus was a four-hour drive from her hometown, Robinson, Illinois. Her decision came from her desire to help her parents financially while also activating her dormant storytelling abilities and passion for teaching.
“The first time that I set foot on this campus to interview, there was a warmth here,” said Beauchamp. “There is a collegiality that I don’t believe I’ve experienced anywhere else or in my conversations with colleagues who work at other colleges.”
Beauchamp’s warm demeanor spread throughout campus as she helped students and faculty alike. Communications professor Eric DeVillez remembers a time when he taught at Moraine part-time, and Beauchamp’s willingness to listen inspired him to keep going.
“She was actually one of the reasons I stuck around,” DeVillez said. “She was kind, not overly talking, but she was there, she was present, and she was there for me.”
But Beauchamp’s strengths go beyond just being nice. She “has a depth to her,” DeVillez says, and “anyone who has a chance to see it is lucky.”
Psychology professor Nickolas Shizas agrees, calling her “one of the most well-read individuals that I know. She’s very knowledgeable about literature, art and music.”
Since 2006, through her position as New Faculty Orientation coordinator, Beauchamp’s love for Moraine Valley spread throughout the campus, She is one of the first kind faces to welcome recent hires. She aids in their transition, leading bi-weekly meetings to provide information and support to faculty–and in turn, their students.
“We discuss and acknowledge all the challenges that are facing our students, from stressors in their personal lives to what’s going on in the world,” Beauchamp said. “That stuff doesn’t stay outside the classroom; we bring it in with us.”
Beauchamp’s voice carries her sincerity for teaching and inspires others to follow in her footsteps. Shizas, who helps Beauchamp in leading NFO meetings, acknowledges how her guidance appears in his life.
“I was always seeking a way to escape, and I joke that because of the proximity of the library, that’s why I became an English major instead of an Olympic swimmer.”
Sandra Beauchamp
“By observing her, I’ve learned how to collaborate with my colleagues on campus,” Shizas said. “She’s also inspired me to share my knowledge of 20 years to new faculty.”
Beauchamp was always captivated by learning. During her childhood summers, she could be found either trying to survive the sun as she rode her bicycle to a swimming pool across town or running through her neighbor’s yard to reach the entrance of the local library.
“Both of them were places of refuge for me as a kid,” she said. “I was always seeking a way to escape, and I joke that because of the proximity of the library, that’s why I became an English major instead of an Olympic swimmer.”
Beyond teaching English, Beauchamp is also an inspiring poet with her prior works including an award-winning poem titled “The Digging.” Her poems often stem from personal experiences. Beauchamp says she felt called to foster a sanctuary to those who could relate to her writing, describing it as a medium that transcends physical boundaries.
Even as Beauchamp advises students to continue their education, it was a path that she almost didn’t take. Beauchamp’s parents rejected the idea of her attending university, trying to keep their only daughter close. This was at the dismay of Mr. Branch, Beauchamp’s English teacher and sponsor of her school’s newspaper.
“Mr. Branch came to my house, talked with my parents and said it would be a sin if I did not go to college,” she said. “And it did something. It opened the doors.”
Under her own terms, she was able to attend Eastern Illinois University to pursue an English major and creative writing minor. But she still had to fight to stay afloat and manage the cost alone.
Working as a tutor, waitress, hot dog vendor, fine-dining host, and having a work study, she labored with vigor and very little sleep.
“Oh my god, I would not recommend that to anyone,” she said.
On the Moraine Valley campus, Beauchamp still feels the warmth she did on her first day. Echoing her grandpa’s words, she vows to keep learning, despite the challenges she faces on her journey, encouraging her students to do the same.
“Nothing worth having is ever easy, so when it gets hard, and it will get hard, just keep in mind it’s worth it,” Beauchamp said. “Never stop learning. That degree isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.”
Velocity 
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