Steve Brinkerhoff is a part-time instructor at Sinclair Community College, who sees himself as an “average guy,” but said he’s had his fair share of dabbling in various activities.
“Enjoy people,” he said. “Learn to look for the good in everybody. Everybody has a unique story — you can learn from anybody. Swapping stories and telling stories, I’m sad to say, is a lost art,” Brinkerhoff said.
He has used this philosophy in many areas of his life, which caused a spark of interest in collecting stamps.
He said every stamp has its own story and that’s why he likes them.
Brinkerhoff said he has thousands of stamps in his collection.
Along with Brinkerhoff’s hobby of collecting stamps, he has been curious about certain things in life, such as the concept of humor. He loves humor and has studied it. He posed and analyzed the question, “what makes something funny?”
“Humor is a wonderful way of reducing some stress and a good way of helping people remember things,” Brinkerhoff said. “So I like to remember interesting stories that help drive a point home.”
Brinkerhoff also enjoys listening to and playing music. He has been playing the guitar for the past 50 years. He owns five guitars, as well as a banjo and a mandolin.
Throughout Brinkerhoff’s life, he has been heavily involved in many different physical activities and sports – including wrestling, soccer and running. He was a heavy runner, but after receiving a hip replacement, he is no longer able to do so. Therefore, instead of running, he has picked up swimming long distances.
Brinkerhoff has been teaching psychology for 25 years and has had many different experiences in the psychology field.
Brinkerhoff said he enjoys the learning environment within the classroom.
“I enjoy challenging people, getting to know the students and seeing progress,” Brinkerhoff said.
Brinkerhoff graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology and worked post-graduation as a therapist at the University of North Carolina. After graduation, Brinkerhoff worked for two and a half years at the Florida Division of Correctional, where he helped inmates obtain their GEDs. In addition he worked as a counselor for Dayton Christian High School for 12 years before moving on to Sinclair.