Ever wonder what lives professors lead outside of campus?

Brian Wescott, a new American Indian Studies Professor at CSUSM, gives an inside look into the interesting life he leads.

Born and raised in Alaska, Wescott made the move towards earning his PhD at Yale University in American Studies with a thesis on the history of Native Americans in the performing arts and his AB at Harvard College in America History and Literature. He then studied acting at the Howard Fine Acting Studio in Hollywood.

This semester he is currently teaching American Indian Studies 350, Imagining Indians:American Indians, Mass Media, Film and Society at CSUSM. He says that his hope for students is that they “will gain solid skills in critical thinking and writing that will allow them to manifest their newfound awareness of American Indian life out in the real world.”He also hopes this students will not just learn about Native Americans academically, “but will make friends and collaborate with indigenous folks as fellow human beings.”

The interesting bit about Professor Wescott is that he has been acting since the age of 15.

Although he has been involved in multiple productions over the years including both films and plays, he has one that he is most proud of.

“The Winter Bear Project”, is a play that Wescott believes “might help stem the horrifying epidemic of suicide among young Alaska Natives, especially young men.” He also stated that he has “been Lead Artist since we began in 2010 and we have done a production or at least one village tour annually since that time. I originally wanted to play the supporting role of a young tribal cop, but in the first two years at the 11th hour they begged me to play the lead role of 95 year-old Sidney Huntington, a real-life Koyukon Athabascan elder who lost three sons to suicide.”

His advice to aspiring student actors is to practice, practice, practice!

“You never stop learning but the longer you commit to it the more you will grow in confidence and technical ability. Dive in with everything you have, trust your instincts, and never stop mastering the craft. Find your truth, your essence, that special energy that makes you YOU. There will always be other actors more beautiful or handsome or whatever but none of them has your unique take on life, which is what casting directors yearn for every time an actor walks in to read for a role.”

His final words of wisdom are to never stop learning.

“The more you learn to open your heart and mind to new experiences and other points of view the more versatile you will be in the work force and the more you will get out of life. Learn to write and speak as effectively as possible so that your voice will be heard. And when you are heard, trust your instincts so that you will speak the truth. The truth always will out.”