Antonette Gray
Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice
School of Applied Technology and Technical Specialties
Institute of Public Safety
What she teaches:
Intro Criminal Justice (CJ-1010): I teach this class to traditional students and non-traditional (students in the Draper Correctional Facility), Introduction to Corrections (CJ-1300), Criminal Law (CJ-1330), Criminal Investigations (CJ-1340), Introduction to Policing (CJ-2300), Laws of Evidence (CJ-2350), Introduction to Victimology (CJ-2410)
Number of years teaching at SLCC:
I started in 2017 as an adjunct faculty, then became a Diverse Faculty Fellow and then was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2020
Undergraduate degree:
University of the West Indies (Mona), Kingston, Jamaica
Master’s:
Monmouth University, New Jersey
Doctorate:
Capella University (ABD)
Why working at SLCC matters:
My philosophy is “To whom much is given, much is required”. SLCC’s vision, mission and core values reflect my personal beliefs about service and transformation. Working at SLCC matters because I want to be part of a process that creates transformative students. I am investing in students, and “paying it forward”. This college affords me that opportunity. Here, students learn content and use it to transform their minds about the greater social context of which they are a part. SLCC helps students understand that working together is more beneficial than working alone. In so doing, they build trust with others, which in turn allows them to feel more connected to both their SLCC and individual communities. Being an institution that promotes diversity and lauds individuality, students quickly learn that they have the power to shift cultural paradigms and create new ways of thinking and being. Students are continuously encouraged to embrace their individual and unique values. They are encouraged to be change agents. At SLCC students “break ground”. They are reminded that the educational pathway that they are on, is void without their presence, voice and contribution. SLCC Matters because students are discouraged from seeing themselves in a limiting capacity as “only” students. They are extremely important to the learning process, and at this institution they are emboldened to engage in their communities and seek opportunities to engage with and include others who might not look or think like them. SLCC reinforces for all, that change starts from where you are, and persons should never minimize their offerings to the social process. The utilitarian philosophy of engaging in acts that are not only good for the individual but for the greatest number of people is really why working at SLCC matters.
Greatest professional challenge:
My greatest challenge is that I want to ‘save’ everyone. I often experience guilt when I have worked above and beyond for specific students who struggled through the term, and the end still remained unfavorable. My students mean the world to me, and so I struggle to find the balance between allowing them to own their learning and being that consistent form of support for them. This challenge has afforded me opportunities to view pedagogy in a more healthy and balanced way. As a result, I have become more intentional in employing pedagogy that is based on diversity, equity and inclusion. In turn, I find that my challenge(s) have strengthened my teaching modalities where students learn the value in being in charge of their learning.
Greatest professional accomplishment(s):
My greatest accomplishments are seeing the professional development in students from the beginning of a term to the end. It is always a privilege to see students become aware of, acquire and improve upon their critical thinking skills. I enjoy seeing students become more self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored and self-corrective in their thinking. I have seen a lot of transformation where students acknowledge norms, mores, folkways and values, which guide their thinking processes. It is humbling to see students take your feedback and become more transparent with themselves while overcoming egocentrism and sociocentrism. It is always a thrill to get emails or calls from students (especially former ones) who share their successes and attribute what I thought was a small gesture to the positive direction their lives have taken. It is always a surprise when I receive a text message from a student asking for advice on academic/volunteer/career opportunities. Nothing is more exhilarating than having employers reach out asking for character references for students. I enjoy hearing stories about how they continued their educational pathways leading to successful transfers, better understanding of community engagement, and ultimately meaningful employment. The stories I hear from students in the Draper Correctional Facility are nothing short of humbling. They often share how engaging in critical thinking activities has encouraged them to be more honest with themselves. It has allowed them to see crime, and criminality through different lens. They beam with pride when they share anecdotes about how proud their families are of the changes they have made in their lives, through education.
Advice for students or others:
I want students to always remember that ‘knowledge is power’, and it does not have to begin an end with what they learn and acquire in the classroom. As such, I want my students to grow and embody each of Salt Lake Community College’s core values. Through collaboration I want them to better understand that we are encouraged to be individuals, however, we are better when we work together and be part of a team. They should go out as ambassadors in their communities and use their voices to effectuate change; a move toward a greater spirit of “community”. As students become more aware of the differences in our perspectives, our intolerances and prejudices they can steadily come to a place of acceptance. I would remind them that inclusivity does not suggest anyone abandon his individual ideals, ideologies, and values; however, it encourages all of us to seek opportunities where we can cultivate environments of respect and empathy, advanced by diverse cultures and perspectives. They should never underestimate the value and power of their thoughts, and words. From our symbiotic relationship, students should learn that they are a greater part of building outstanding educational experiences than I am as a facilitator. They should know that they are CEOs of their learning. As students acquire critical thinking skills, they need to know that their fresh thinking is what keeps this learning process so transformative, and innovative. I hope they continue to feel encouraged to have new ideas and feel strengthened and involved in various initiatives. As they grow and develop as human beings, I hope they transcend their limitations and always do the right things for the right reasons. Being a person of integrity is not limited to how you behave in the classroom in front of the teacher. You should choose right, even when no one is watching. As students learn the value of togetherness, they will continue to engage each other and build trust in working relationships. As they work from a place of integrity and equity, they will continue to be leaders who work with their fellow men in good faith and goodwill.
Future plans:
I want to continue developing my pedagogical skills in higher education where diversity, equity and inclusion are the core values that guide my teaching modalities and student-oriented processes.
Family:
I am Jamaican and from a very large family. I have lots of family members still in Jamaica but also in states such as New Mexico, Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida to name a few. I also have family in Europe: England and Belgium. My immediate family consists of my mother, two sisters and a brother. I am also the proud mother of 14-year-old twins, Lance and Lauren.
Hobbies:
I love to watch documentaries, soccer, basketball and any sporting event or otherwise my twins are involved in.
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