“I woke up to the smell of burnt tires making the air so thick is was hard to breathe.” Shots had been fired and Leara Rhodes found herself trapped in a hospice in Haiti, until she was rescued four days later by the U.S embassy. “I found myself fully clothed, passport in hand, laying alongside two men who were just as afraid as I was.” Rhodes explained while rubbing her knees and reflecting on her travel experiences. “My entire career has been one of, ‘Let’s try this.’”
Leara Rhodes is an associate professor of journalism and international communication in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She received her doctorate and master degrees from Temple University in Philadelphia and her bachelor degree at the University of Georgia. She had never considered teaching, however, her passion for writing ultimately determined the course of her entire career. In her line of work, she has written three books and launched 40 new magazines. She received a Fulbright Scholarship to Haiti and worked all throughout the Caribbean writing, editing and consulting for newspapers. UGA awarded her an international fellowship to develop an exchange program with the School of Journalism in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Here is a side note of each book Rhodes has written:
- Democracy and the role of Haitian media| click here to get a preview
- The Ethnic Press: Shaping the American Dream | click here to get a preview
- Peace Through Media | recently published
“I never wanted to do anything else but write, but with a 3-year old I thought teaching would be good because I would have more flexibility of being with my daughter.” She says of her decision to take a teaching job at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia about a decade ago.
Rhodes has always managed to work through any challenge she was faced with. She has spent ears battling severe knee problems, but that never stopped her from traveling and tackling any new challenges or adventures that came her way. Being a victim of domestic violence after giving birth to her daughter ultimately ending a marriage drove her to make her appearance on the fundraiser “Dancing with the Stars of Athens.” As a survivor of domestic violence Rhodes wanted to tell her story through the art of dance. “I never do things without having a real reason for doing it. I wanted to tell my story.” This performance won her the people’s choice award and ultimately allowed her to fulfill her dreams of learning how to waltz. “The only thing harder than getting a Ph.D., is learning how to waltz,” she said.
Her office is plastered with gifts and photos from students and colleagues. She also has postcards from many of her travels. “I would describe Dr. Rhodes as a no-nonsense professor who cares about her students’ success in the real world more than anything else,” said student Amanda Albee. “She tells us that grades are not the most important thing in the world, but learning real world skills that will be applicable to a future career is much more important.” This is Albee’s second year with Dr. Rhodes as a professor and she is currently in one of Rhodes’ journalism courses. “She pushes us beyond what she is required to teach us as a professor and gives us opportunities, encouraging us to take them,” she said.
click here to view an interactive version of this photo!
For Rhodes, teaching is more than just providing curricula for student to learn. She describes it as a two-way street in which she and her students can learn from each other. “I try to know what they’re thinking, if they’re having a good day or bad day…I think it’s very important to listen to your students.” Not only is she respected by her students, but her colleagues also respect her work. Alex Crevar, a freelance journalist who has covered the Balkans for nearly 20 years said “Dr. Rhodes and I have always gotten along since the minute we met. She is a longtime colleague and friend, of whom I happen to have a lot in common with.”
After one time speaking with Rhodes, it can feel as if you have known her for years. She makes the environment very comfortable, encouraging anyone around her to break out of their shell. This is shown through her teaching, as multiple students will raise their hands at the same time, trying to be as involved in her lecture as possible. Her classroom has an atmosphere that is calm and welcoming. There are not awkward pauses after a question is asked, no sounds of computer keys clicking simultaneously and no eyes locked on cell phone screens. “She’s a tough professor and treats us like adults for sure, there is no coddling, but she is really fair and you can tell she really cares about her students and helping them succeed.” Albee said.
After 20 years of working through pain, Rhodes is finally awaiting her set date for knee surgery scheduled for December 19. She has struggled with this for years and it has almost set her back from traveling. However, this will not affect her teaching or traveling. “The next place I will go is Dublin, Ireland, and then who knows,” she said. She will be conducting a new study abroad in Ireland, in which she will be able to explore a new location and doing what she what she is passionate about. She also has plans to go to Scandinavian countries after living on 11 islands in the Caribbean. Rhodes is ultimately a living example of someone who is not afraid to follow their dreams no matter where it takes them. “Everyone has always told me I was crazy for some of the opportunities I have taken, but if we don’t take chances we may never know what is on the other side.”