Professor Caparelli is a lecturer in Politics. She teaches the following courses: Testimonies and Trials, Chicago Trials: Criminal Division, Race and Criminal Justice, Introduction to American Politics and Rhetoric of Law. This interview was conducted by Rudo Ellen Kazembe ’20.
Stentor: What did you study in College?
Professor Caparelli: l was a Politics and Communications double major. I minored in Sociology and Anthropology. I studied here at Lake Forest College.
Stentor: What strategies did you use to be successful in College?
Professor Caparelli: l spent a lot of time in the library and I spoke with my Professors a lot. I spent a lot of time in their office and always went to class. I think that’s very important. Sometimes students think that not going to class is a good idea, but I don’t think that’s true. I always tried to get ahead in class as much as possible. It’s just the basic stuff that you’re supposed to do, like reading what you’re assigned. If you do all those basic things, you’ll ultimately be successful as a student. If you don’t do those things, you’ll start falling behind and that will be a problem. I was proactive with my work and I definitely had a lot of fun when l was in college. You have to balance your coursework and your fun, or else you’ll end up having to beg to finish your assignments
If you do all those basic things, you’ll ultimately be successful as a student. If you don’t do those things, you’ll start falling behind and that will be a problem. I was proactive with my work and I definitely had a lot of fun when l was in college. You have to balance your coursework and your fun, or else you’ll end up having to beg to finish your assignments
Stentor: How would you describe your journey from undergraduate to becoming a Professor here at Lake Forest College?
Professor Caparelli: Well it’s been a journey where I’ve come full circle. I started right here at Lake Forest College and once l graduated, l went straight to law school. I got my Juris Doctor, then l took the bar exams and after passing the bar, I immediately started working. After about six years as a public defender in Waukegan, l got an opportunity to teach at Lake Forest College and I’ve been here ever since.
Stentor: When did you know that you wanted to be a Professor at Lake Forest College?
Professor Caparelli: l didn’t know that l wanted to be a Professor. I kind of just fell into this opportunity here at the College. I’m very grateful to have it because it’s been really nice to be back here, at this school that l love so much. I didn’t really anticipate ever teaching. I didn’t think it was something that I’d want to do or something that I’d enjoy doing, but it’s something that l very much enjoy. It’s very different from practicing law. When l was a trial attorney, I’d get to be in the thick of the action but now it’s very different. You learn about people in a different way when you’re teaching. It’s been something that l never expected or planned on doing, but I actually do enjoy teaching.
Stentor: What do you like the most about teaching at Lake Forest College?
Professor Caparelli: l think that the students here are incredible. I really like how involved they are on campus and in my classes. I love some of the discussions that we’ve had. Some of my classes are just really great. I love that everyone comes from a different perspective. I think in most of my classes, everyone has a very social and justice-minded consciousness. I think people really care about issues of social justice and how to make a difference in this world. It’s been good to discuss that stuff and to see how interested the students
I think people really care about issues of social justice and how to make a difference in this world. It’s been good to discuss that stuff and to see how interested the students are and to see them going out in the world after they finish their degrees here and doing wonderful and important things. I like how the classes are small here. I get to know my students pretty well through discussion in class. It makes me hopeful about the future because there are a lot of social and justice-minded students here.
Stentor: What advice would you give to undergraduate students at Lake Forest College?
Professor Caparelli: Enjoy your time here and don’t take it for granted. Once the four years are up, you have to go out into the real world and do something.If you go to graduate school, you’ll find that graduate school is very different from College.
In a liberal arts education, you have these incredible opportunities to explore everything. You can take a photography class and an anthropology class. You can also take classes in theatre and urban policy. All this kind of opens up your mind into the possibility of potential career options, or even just something that you can talk about intelligently at a cocktail party. I think that it’s important to have intelligent cocktail banter.
Once you take advantage of all those options, you are more prepared to face what comes ahead when you go out in the world. If you don’t take advantage of the options here, you’ll never get that opportunity again. In graduate school, you write in a very discrete way and you have your classes already picked out for you, and that’s limiting. College is not like that. So if you plan on going to Law school, Med school or any graduate degree program, you’re not going to get the flexibility of adventure that you get here as an undergrad. So do take advantage of the opportunities here.
So if you plan on going to Law school, Med school or any graduate degree program, you’re not going to get the flexibility of adventure that you get here as an undergrad. So do take advantage of the opportunities here.
