by Katie McGrath
May 1, 2026

Certified scuba diver, former hard-hat deep-sea diver, and anime enthusiast, Genesee Community College English professor R. Michael Gosselin almost chose a very different career path.

After graduate school, Gosselin worked in retail and later managed a college bookstore in Boston, where a continuing education literature class was being taught. When the program director learned he had a degree in English, he was asked if he would be willing to teach. “And my first instinct was to say no, because I was very shy. But another voice in my head said, ‘Sure!’ And that was the start of that,” Gosselin said.

As a full-time professor since 2010, Gosselin has built strong connections with his students and values the diverse perspectives they bring to his classes. “The students are the only reason I keep doing it,” he said. “I’ve gotten to know the different backgrounds that the students have come up through. I’m more familiar with urban environments than with rural environments, and it’s amazing to me that that’s a whole life that I never even knew about.”

Gosselin teaches courses such as College Composition, Writing for the Sciences, and Technical Writing. Before becoming a full-time faculty member, he taught part-time at GCC, SUNY Brockport, and Monroe Community College after moving to New York in 2004.

Originally from Boston, Gosselin began college at Salem State University as an English major. After being advised that the degree might not be practical, he switched to marine biology due to his interest in the ocean. However, after struggling academically, he returned to English and later attended graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where he studied linguistics and philosophy.

Before fully committing to teaching, Gosselin pursued underwater welding and became a certified hard-hat deep-sea diver. He spent about a year in San Francisco working in the field. “Basically, it’s blue-collar work underwater,” he said. “They do things like underwater construction. I don’t know why…I just thought it would be a good career because I was already a certified scuba diver. And for some reason I thought it was cool. I got certified, and then that didn’t work out.”

During his second semester, he also began teaching in prison education programs after being approached by a representative from Hudson Link to help start a college program at Attica Correctional Facility. “She came to me and asked me if I wanted to do it, and I almost started laughing because it was perfect. I’ve always wanted to do that. I’ve always appreciated teaching in nontraditional environments,” Gosselin said.

Teaching in correctional facilities has become one of the most impactful parts of his career. “In the prison classrooms, every day is unexpected and interesting,” he said. “Students will say things that will completely shock you and make you rethink everything you’ve ever thought.”

He recalled an early experience that reshaped his perspective. “My very first night, I explained the class and asked if there were any questions.” Gosselin said. “A student said, ‘Yeah, I got a question. Why are you here?’ And that was a shock. I had to really rethink my whole approach.”

Gosselin has now spent 15 years teaching in prison education programs.

His impact extends beyond the classroom. Student Rachel Vannest, a member of the ACE Program, recalled her first interaction with Gosselin during her College Composition class in fall 2024. “I was lost. Class was starting in two minutes, and I was on completely the wrong side of campus,” Vannest said. “He walked past me, and I was just thinking, ‘Please ask me if I need help.’ And then he did. I told him the room number, and he said, ‘Oh, that’s where I’m going. Hi, I’m your professor.’ So we walked to class together.”

She also remembered his teaching style. “We walked in, and he turned on music from How to Train Your Dragon and said, ‘Today, we’re going to talk about the soundtrack,’” she said. “It was really fantastic.”

Vannest said Gosselin’s approach helped students connect course material to their own experiences. “The thing that really stuck with me was when he said anything can be a college-level source,” she said. “You don’t have to just use fancy websites you don’t understand.”

As he looks toward retirement, he acknowledges changes in education, particularly the rise of artificial intelligence, but feels ready for what comes next. “I’m sort of tired of dealing with AI,” he said. “If it’s the future, fine—but I don’t have to go along. I feel like I’m sitting on a beach watching a ship sail away, and I’m like, ‘See ya!’ I’ll stay here. I’m fine.”