Honoring Professor of the Year José Feito / Photo by Richard Trinh
At the 2024 Professor of the Year Celebration, José Feito Reflects on His Saint Mary’s Journey
In a personal and colorful presentation, the psychology professor shared anecdotes from his life that focused on “moments of intimacy and connection with other people.”
Growing up on the outskirts of Miami, a young José Feito loved to sink his teeth into cupcakes. His family were newcomers to the neighborhood; they had recently emigrated from Cuba.
In addition to his fondness for whimsical desserts, Feito was a child who would escape into his own thoughts. A second-grade teacher, in fact, wrote that he "daydreams too much" and "stares out the window a lot."
As a son of Cuban exiles and a gender-queer boy, José felt set apart from others and longed for a place to land and a community to nurture him.
During his presentation, Feito traced his quest for intimate connection and genuine belonging, using images from a favorite childhood book of Greek mythology. His was a winding road that included an important visit to a library during the 4th grade, critical time spent in schools for the gifted, and a challenging stop at a private Jesuit school for Cuban boys. At various points, he recognized consequential authors, books, and teachers who called him into a queer, creative, and intellectual community.
Much of what he learned and experienced as a child and during young adulthood came together when he completed his PhD dissertation at UC Berkeley and began teaching in SMC’s Collegiate Seminar.
“I was still enthralled by what could happen when people created knowledge and meaning and interpretation together, when they listened to one another, let themselves be impacted, and responded honestly from the vulnerability of not knowing,” Feito explained.
Feito spoke of “intellectual intimacy” and how the process of shared inquiry can help provide students with a deeper access into the inner workings of one another’s minds. He noted how, over the years, many students have conveyed to him how much they came to value the unique level of intimacy that emerged during his Seminar classes—an intimacy not common or easy to find in everyday friendships.
“I find that my students yearn for a more serious and meaningful engagement with one another as well as with ideas,” he said. “I have felt so honored by what students bring to my classes, the vulnerability and the sincerity are really quite beautiful.”
“I was still enthralled by what could happen when people created knowledge and meaning and interpretation together, when they listened to one another, let themselves be impacted, and responded honestly from the vulnerability of not knowing.”
He ended his presentation by asking the audience to reflect on their histories and to recall a memorable intimate encounter of their own. “Maybe it was a time you learned something new or understood something about yourself, or about your life. Maybe you just felt something new, an expansion, an openness, a sense of possibility that wasn’t there before.” Several audience members shared their stories.
“I have the great privilege of coming to work every day to have more of these intimate encounters,” said Feito. “I can only be delighted.”
