Described as “reserved and thoughtful” by his students, University philosophy professor Ian Young appears to be most at home in the classroom.

    University graduate Cameron Morrissey, one of his former students, said, “Ian can be quiet, but he becomes very passionate when he talks about the things he enjoys. He loves imparting his knowledge to others – especially students.”

    Rachel Husk, University junior and creative writing major, had a similar experience with Young when she was a freshman.

    “Ian puts (his lessons) in such a narrative, that no matter what attitude you have when you walk into his classroom, you will undoubtedly walk back out with a changed view of the world and the people around you,” she said.

    Surrounded by shelves filled with books and facing away from his desk littered with classwork and numerous empty coffee cups, Young sat with his hands folded during an interview, his demeanor casual. However, when he explained his history and the multitude of events that landed him in Bowling Green, he gradually became more jovial and notably impassioned.

    Young spent the first 20 years of life in his hometown — Auckland, New Zealand. Some of his fondest memories of childhood came from a time when he and his family would travel.

    “(My family) was going to the mountains on vacation to see these three big volcanoes in the middle of the North Island. We went in the winter, and that was the first time I had even seen snow – I was about 14 at the time,” he explained.

    When Young wasn’t traveling, he would spend his time at the seaport his town was based around. He and his family lived on the north shore, just near the beach. He especially loved going down to the water to go swimming or, as he got older, spending time with friends.

    In his 20s, Young spent a few years traversing Europe, but spent most of his time living about a half-mile from the Thames River in England. Then, most of his close family relocated to the United Kingdom, and his travels helped him to be closer to them.

    After three years of travel, Young moved back to his home country and began his undergraduate degree at the University of Otago. He spent six years completing their program, and along the way, rediscovered his love of the mountains. He joined a local hiking club and spent a great deal of time on trips with them.

    Young also spent his time in New Zealand working in a student hostel. While on shift, he met two backpackers whose hospitality changed the course of his life.

    “While I was (working), I met this couple from Minnesota. I got on with them pretty well, so they said, ‘You’re welcome to come and visit us any time!’ Then, just after I graduated, I wasn’t really sure what to do next,” he said.

    Recalling the couple by name, Young went to stay with the backpackers, Ken and Theresa, for a vacation. When he arrived in America, they picked him up from the airport and took him to their home in Minneapolis. In the days he spent with them, he not only experienced his first Thanksgiving, but also found his love for the country. However, he soon returned to New Zealand.

    After his trip, Young began to look for a graduate school to attend. He remembered how fond he had been of his time in America and thought his graduate degree would be a fantastic excuse to return.

    During research in his undergraduate years, Young remembered reading numerous books and articles from the University. Not knowing much about the University, he applied to its program for applied philosophy.

    “Bowling Green called and accepted me — I got a phone call, and that was how I ended up coming here,” he said.

    Two years into his studies, Young attended a party where he met a woman named Kim. She was a local who recently returned from Seattle, after living there with her two children for a number of years. She had come to the party by chance with a mutual friend of Young’s, who introduced them.

    “I didn’t think much about it,” Young said. “We sort of talked for a while, but I just assumed she was married.”

    They bumped into each other six months after their first meeting and finally began to talk after several encounters at the local coffee shop, Grounds for Thought.“Things went from there,” as Young put it.

    The couple married and decided to stay in the area to be near Kim’s family and keep her children in school. Additionally, Young was offered a full-time position at the university, which started as a six-month trial and has lasted until this very day.

    As to why he took the job in Bowling Green rather than searching elsewhere, “It’s not that easy to get a job with a Ph. D. in philosophy – despite what you would think,” he joked. He now serves the university as a senior lecturer and director of the undergraduate philosophy program.

    After living in America for over 24 years, Young has returned to New Zealand more frequently to plan a study abroad trip for the University. He has some relatives there whom he has reunited with because of these trips. However, he hasn’t kept up close contact with his homeland in quite a while.

    Despite the fact most of his family lives in the United Kingdom and various relatives are scattered throughout the world, Young considers Bowling Green his home.

    He travels frequently with his wife, but the pair always return at the end of each trip. “(Bowling Green) is a very safe and comfortable place for us to live,” he said. “We have such a nice lifestyle, and it’s not everywhere that I can simply walk to my work every day.”