Mike Yawn
Mike Yawn is the son of two educators who instilled in him a desire to learn .
“ In my case , though , I think it was a delayed reaction because I showed very little aptitude in this area until late in my formal education ,” Yawn said .
He earned his bachelor ’ s degree at Sam Houston State University . To help pay for
his education , he worked in a library — a prison library .
“ It was an unusual job for a college student , or anyone . The literary tastes of the clientele were unusually eclectic ,” Yawn said . “ The three most popular authors were Louis Lamour , Stephen King , and Danielle Steele .”
Most of his co-workers were prison trustees , and it was the last time he was the highest paid individual in his workspace .
“ One day I was shelving books in the career section , and I came across one titled , ‘ Do What You Love .’ That book made me think about what it was that I loved ,” Yawn said . “ And that was when I became sort-of serious about school , learning , and a career . What I realized is that I wanted a career that allowed me to learn , one that permitted me to do new and different things . I wanted a career that had evolving duties and , in turn , allowed me to evolve with those duties . I decided I wanted to be a professor .”
Over time , his job has evolved from Librarian to Professor , now serving as the Director of the Center for Law ,
Engagement , And Politics ( LEAP ) at Sam Houston State University .
“ My day-to-day duties vary markedly , but in a given week I typically : teach three courses , meet with students who need prelaw advising , oversee internships , attend sundry meetings , do research , and coordinate 3-4 engagement or academic activities with students ,” Yawn said .
Yawn said he very much likes living in Huntsville , Texas .
“ I ’ ve enjoyed working with the people , the non-profits , the business , and the government agencies in various gown-town collaborations ,” Yawn said .
He said that if he had a month-long vacation , he and his girlfriend , Stephanie Fors , would like to spend most of it exploring Australia .
“ I enjoy traveling , photography , movies , and art . I also like sports , by which I mean baseball . I like to read , and while I fancy myself an eclectic reader , my tastes are probably not as wide-ranging as those of my library patrons many years ago ,” Yawn said .
- Written by Brenda Poe
6 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | DECEMBER 2022