"Who is your advisor?" my roommate asked as I unpacked my newly purchased textbooks. It was the first week of class, and I, a lowly freshman undergraduate was happy that my upperclass roommate had asked.
"Dr. Mark Nelson." I read from my schedule. I watched her eyes expand to twice their normal size.
"He is a scary, scary man. Very big, very brilliant and completely petrifying." I swallowed hard. I had been on my way to his office to make my first appointment, and suddenly had the urge to call my mother and ask why she had left me here at this terrible place they called college.
I walked slowly to the School of Music where Dr. Nelson resided. I approached his door and knocked timidly. A booming voice instructed me to enter. I introduced myself and he rose to meet me. One thing was certain: Dr. Mark Nelson was indeed one big man. Easily 6'5", complete with full, bushy beard and very large glasses, he was an intimidating character, to say the least. He looks like Chewbacca, I thought to myself. A Ph.D. in Music Education and the Chair of the Music Education Department, his office walls were lined with framed certificates and articles published under his pen. I had never met anyone who inspired awe upon meeting.
Over the course of the next four years, Dr. Nelson became not only my favorite professor and revered advisor, but a dear friend to me and my classmates. Our Music Ed department was small, but well-established, and the fifteen of us in our graduating class became a cohort of future professional teachers under the inspiration of Dr. Nelson. It was obvious in everything that he did that the field of education was close to his heart and that along with music, teaching teachers was his passion. Beyond his many talents as Department Chair and virtuosic tuba player, he taught our elementary teaching methods course. I will never forget the look on my classmates' faces the day he got down on the floor with us, sitting cross-legged in our little circle, teaching us children's songs. Although a bit awkward looking, it was just like something he would do. A highly regarded administrator and Chair, he never held himself above us: He was always willing to dig right in and get down to work on our level.
More than his talents as a classroom educator, it was Dr. Nelson's dedication to us as a class of individuals that was so amazing. Barbecues at the Nelson home with his family were standard. Early classes in the cafeteria over breakfast could be expected. I had the honor of baby-sitting his children, as did many of my classmates. His home was always open to us all, no matter the what the situation entailed: school advice, life advice, or the newest album out at the local music store.
Upon graduating, I did not find the desired job in the music education field in which I had trained. I took a job in the educational field, but was faced daily with questions from my family and friends about what I was doing with my life and how I was using my degree. It was Dr. Nelson that kept me focused. "You're doing good work. Stay strong." When I changed my mind about my career and decided to go back to school for a counseling degree, Dr. Nelson's reaction was one of unwavering support. "Anything you set your mind to do, you will, and you will be successful." When I doubted my abilities as a student and educator, his answer was always that he believed in me. "You appreciate success so much. Things don't come easily for you. You have to work for them. That's what makes you a good student and will make you an excellent teacher. Just share that." When I told him I was finally returning to graduate school to get my master's degree in education, he merely laughed. "It's about time"was his only comment.
Almost ten years have passed since my first meeting with Dr. Nelson, and we still speak regularly. He has given all his former students his e-mail and instructed us to call him Mark. "We're all in this together now. We're all educators." Occasionally, Mark pops up on my computer screen and instant messages me just to say hello, see how I'm doing, tell me he's proud of all I'm doing and send well wishes. I do not believe that I am the exception to the rule. Once when I asked him if he would be willing to write me a recommendation he responded "Of course I will. Let's get one thing straight. My dedication to my students and their careers ends when you retire or I die."
Dr. Mark Nelson is indeed a big man. But larger than his stature is his heart, his dedication to the profession of teaching, and his commitment to excellence in the lives of all that have had the honor of calling him their teacher.
-- Angela Duncan, American University