Step onto North Carolina State University’s campus in Raleigh this fall, and you’ll find Stark State College alum Chris Schell teaching in the department of sociology and anthropology.

Whether he’s leading a course on criminology or teaching about racial inequalities, Chris enjoys developing his curriculum and tailoring the course to make learning enjoyable for his students in ways that they can all relate to the material.

“Having a career where you contribute to making a difference in someone’s life is the reward everyone should seek,” said Chris. “I can honestly say that, looking back, everything seemed to move in a connect-the-dots fashion to where I am today. It all began on my first day at Stark State.”

Finding his fit at Stark State

Chris grew up in Canton, and after graduating from high school, he attended The University of Akron.

“Unfortunately, I never finished,” said Chris. “This was the one thing I always regretted.”

Fast forward 20 years, and Chris had the opportunity to return to school as a non-traditional student. At the suggestion of a friend and with the support of his wife, Penelope, he enrolled at Stark State in fall 2011 – with flexibility, cost, location and 2+2 transfer pathway options playing a big role in his decision. After being out of school for two decades, Chris said Stark State made the transition easy for him.

“My intention was to finish up my associate of arts degree in criminal justice and move on,” explained Chris. “I always enjoyed learning about our justice system, and this was my intended major at The University of Akron.”

During his first semester, he met Angela Smith Alder, professor/coordinator of human services and justice studies at Stark State. The rapport he developed with Angela would have a meaningful impact on the trajectory of his education and his future career.

“Angela and I spent many sessions talking about my future, because at the time I really didn’t know what my options were with a criminal justice degree and where I could fit in,” said Chris. “Aside from the support of my wife, Angela played a huge role in where I am today. The faculty at Stark State invest in each student to succeed.”

For his internship, Angela matched him with the Ohio Department of Youth Services, Akron Region, Parole Office. In 2013, Chris became the first person in his family to graduate from college.

Finding a ‘home’ in academia

“Initially, I wanted to work within the justice system, but I wasn’t really sure where,” explained Chris. “Teaching was always in the back of my head.”

After graduating, he worked at the Community Corrections Facility at the Multi-County Juvenile Attention System (MCJAS) facility in Canton while he worked on his bachelor’s in criminology at Kent State University. During his tenure, he noticed that many of the youths suffered from symptoms of mental health problems, yet the system was inadequate at helping identify the issues, let alone treat them.

Chris soon declared a second major in sociology and “fell in love” with research.

“Being able to use data and theory to tell a story and provide implications to improve the justice system was very rewarding.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree, Chris was one of six applicants in a pool of 120 accepted into the graduate program at Kent State’s department of sociology and criminology. He then pursued his M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology, where he focused his research for his master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation on the implications of mental health issues on juvenile offending and reoffending. After spending time teaching at Kent State and Ashland University (where he still teaches a course today), Chris feels that he’s finally found a permanent home in academia at NC State.

“Twenty years passed between my time at The University of Akron and enrolling at Stark State,” said Chris. “It is never too late to start over somewhere and pursue what you want to do in life.”