How can someone go from working in corporate America for 21 years to educating and shaping the minds of students at Saint Xavier University? For the 2010 communications graduate, Dr. Vincent Alexander Davis, now an admired and beloved instructor in the Communications department, the story of how he became a lecturer back at his alma mater is inspirational and unexpected as well.
“I started working in the mailroom at Northwest Community Hospital back in 1997, contracted through Lanier Worldwide, which was later bought by Ricoh,” Dr. Davis elaborates. “It wasn’t glamorous work, but I kept pushing, learning, and moving up over the years.”
The blue-collar start ended up leading Dr. Davis through 21 years of a corporate role that had a focus on ancillary services, such as mailing, printing, and shipping.
His corporate timeline saw him managing contracts at very different departments such as financial institutions, hospitals, and law firms. “What people don’t always realize about corporate work is that you’re stepping into a rigid organizational structure that has little patience for excuses,” Davis said. “It’s humbling, especially for young professionals who think their degree guarantees them power.”
But what was it that made Davis end his long-lasting corporate America journey? “Honestly, it wasn’t because anything was wrong. My son had just gotten hired at Ricoh, and I received a full-time offer to teach at Saint Xavier,” he recalled. “It felt like a sign. I didn’t want my son living under my shadow, and this opportunity to reinvent myself as a teacher came at the perfect time.”
Making the drastic decision to shift into teaching from working in corporate was not only a career change for Dr. Davis, it was a transformation for his day to day life.
Davis, who has been an instructor at this institution since January of 2015, explains that his inspiration to teach came from his mentor at SXU “She once told me she believed my story would resonate with students. Back then, I dismissed it. But looking back, she was right,” Davis said.
Dr Davis says what keeps him inspired and passionate about being an instructor is his students themselves.
“You all are the reason I do this,” he emphasized. “Hearing from seniors who say, ‘Thank you for helping me understand, thank you for making an impact, that means more to me than any corporate bonus ever could.”
Elisabeth McCraw, a sophomore communication major at Saint Xavier University, expressed her gratitude for Dr. Davis and his teachings.
”Dr. V has been instrumental in my academic career thus far, it is through taking his courses that I realized I would like to be a Communication major. Therefore, I switched my major this semester as a sophomore, after being interested in the various courses I have taken with him.”
Not every aspect of Dr. Davis’ transition was easy. Davis explains that education comes with its issues and learning curves. “In corporate, you often see things coming from a mile away,” he said. “In academia, sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know until it hits you. But I work in a department where everyone supports each other, and that makes a huge difference.”
Looking back on his journey, Davis connects the parallels between his personal growth and what he lectures to his students.
“I always tell my students: progression, not perfection. You don’t have to be perfect to be considered a good person or a success. I’ve messed up many times, but I’ve learned from it all, and that’s what matters,” he states.
Even amidst the drastic changes of going from corporate to education, Davis doesn’t regret his decision. He explains, “At my old corporate job, my role was to make the company more money. Now, I feel like I’m a piece in a bigger machine that helps students get where they want to go. That’s so much more rewarding,” Davis said.
When asked about his view on the pros and cons of teaching, Davis explains, “The biggest pro is the impact you have on students.” The con? “Sometimes I wish I could foresee challenges better. But even the unexpected teaches me something new.”
Davis’s advice for those students who are pursuing a communications degree is insightful and inspiring “Don’t focus on what exact job you’ll get with a communication major. Instead, think about what you can accomplish with it. It’s not always a straight path, and that’s okay,” he advised.
As Dr. Davis reflects on his past and his college days, he laughs at his younger self. “Back in 1991, I was at Chicago State, skipping classes to grab a microphone and spit bars,” he chuckled.
“If someone like me, who messed up as much as I did, can turn it around and find fulfillment, then so can anyone.” All in all, Dr. Vincent Alexander Davis’ journey is more than a simple career change. It’s truly about Reinvention, resilience, and shaping a community that also once shaped him.
For many SXU students, Dr. Davis is not only an educator but a prime example that even while life can take unexpected turns, they’re usually for the better. And in his case, those turns lead him right back home.
By Fernanda Tejeda