Mica Mecham, Instructor of English at JSU, is from Hokes Bluff. She earned both of her degrees at JSU and has been teaching since 2005. She currently teaches Basic English Skills, Freshman Composition, American Literature Surveys, and Oral Communication. Although teaching at JSU and caring for her family keep her busy, she enjoys making custom door hangers and yard art. She buys the wood, free-hands the designs, and cuts them with a skill-saw, custom painting each piece herself. 

In May 2019, Mecham directed and taught the Yellowstone Program. After traveling to Yellowstone National Park with Dr. Erin Rider, Jennifer Foster, and Shaun Carter to participate in the American Democracy Project’s 2018 Stewardship of Public Lands Seminar, Mecham fell in love with the park. She was impressed by the diverse land features, such as geysers and hotspots, and the extensive wildlife: “we saw so many animals up-close and through spotting lenses: bison, wolves, big horned sheep, elk, black bears, grizzly bears, bald eagles, mountain goats, antelope, white tailed deer, pika, moose, etc.” In particular, Mecham loved the Grand Prismatic, which is the largest hot springs in the United States, and Mammoth Hot Springs, which is known for its beautiful travertine features. Artist Point, known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, was her personal favorite. “It was snowing so hard when we visited it for the first time, and it was absolutely breathtaking,” she said.

The JSU Yellowstone Program was established from a desire to give JSU students the opportunity to experience Yellowstone in a similar way. According to Mecham, developing the course took a lot of planning. “Erin and I both acted not only as the teachers but also as the trip coordinators.  We divided up tasks and spent so many hours planning the details of the trip, including ground transportation, booking flights, securing lodging, organizing tours through Yellowstone Forever (YF), selecting speakers, [and] planning excursions both inside of and outside of the park,” she said.

On the trip, which lasted for a week in May, there were a total of fifteen students and about ten JSU faculty and staff. There were two sections of the course available to students, with Mecham teaching English and Rider teaching Sociology. Mecham noted that her favorite part of the travel course was watching students experience Yellowstone for the first time.

“It was like watching kids opening gifts on Christmas morning,” she said. “They were wide-eyed and excited by all of the wonders of the park.” All of their hard work paid off during the week of the trip, and Mecham reflected on the experience positively: “I am so proud of how this class and trip experience came together.”

Following the Yellowstone Program, Mecham, Rider, and Foster had the opportunity to co-present on their experience leading the Yellowstone travel course at AASCU (ADP) and NASPA’s 2019 Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement National Conference. In their presentation, which they will also present this fall in Faculty Commons for JSU faculty, they “discussed the process of creating the YNP travel course and gave tips to other teachers at other universities who were possibly interested in creating similar travel experiences for their students.” They were also able to attend other sessions and learn more about preparing students to be engaged citizens. The experience was a valuable learning and reflecting experience, and Mecham was grateful for the opportunity to attend.

Mecham is already planning ahead for her next travel course. Next summer (2020), she will be teaching a four-week course in London on The Magical World of Harry Potter. A few of the places students will visit during the month of July include the filming sites of the Great Hall and Library of Hogwarts, Snape’s Dungeon in Lacock, and the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio. This program will be her first time traveling to Europe, and she said, “I am absolutely ecstatic to have this opportunity to teach a class based on something I love so much in a study abroad course.”

This study abroad program will be an especially magical trip for Mecham, who said that her favorite series of books is the Harry Potter series. “Particularly, my favorite of the series is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” she clarified. For Mecham, the Harry Potter series is more than a story: it is a timeless work of literature with rich world-building and depth. “Every time I have nothing to read, I always go back and start rereading Harry Potter on my Kindle,” she added.

The program will be held through the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA), which allows students from around the United States to engage in different study abroad programs. And while traveling is one of the most exciting aspects of studying abroad, Mecham believes that there are educational benefits. “Study abroad courses are unique experiences that allow students to blend classroom content and traditional learning with world experience,” she said. “Students who study abroad never stop learning, even when class is ‘dismissed’. Every moment while traveling is an opportunity to explore and learn and take in the culture around them.”

She also mentioned the specific benefits of the CCSA program, noting the low costs and ease of travel. To students who are considering studying abroad, Mecham advised considering it. “Thinking back to my own college experience, I wish I had been brave enough to study abroad for a semester,” she said.

To learn more about Mecham’s course, visit the Study Abroad Fair in the MAC Gym in the Rec Center on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 12-2 PM.