Northwest Vista College’s “Dr. Don” Lucas and student Matthew Wheeler were recently one of three winners out of 150 contest entries that were selected by NISOD/Community College Week Scott Wright Student Essay Contest.
This is an opportunity for students to describe how a faculty member, staff member, or administrator helped them complete a course, finish a semester, or graduate from college.
With this honor, Matthew and Dr. Don will each receive $1,000 and complimentary hotel, transportation and admission to the 2017 International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in late May in Austin. Additionally, the winning student essays will be published on Community College Week’s and NISOD’s websites along with the photos and names of the winning student authors; the featured employees; and the winning student authors’ college presidents.
Below is the essay that Matthew wrote about Dr. Don.
Dr. Don Lucas, the Man Who Gave Me a Path and Led Me Down It
After living on my own for over a decade and with more than fifty addresses under my belt, I was nearly twenty-six and no closer to describing my future than I when I was sixteen. For all my travels and all my troubles, I could not find the vocabulary necessary to portray what it was I wanted to do with my life. I made a decision at that point in time, to take a gamble and just jump into college, hoping the man who came out the other side was closer in character to the one I saw in my head. I would dare to say it was the best decision in my life, and I truly have one man to thank for that.
A week before classes started, I had the bright idea to interview professors from various departments to help me decide upon my major. As fate would have it, the moment I walked into the Psychology department offices, I quite literally bumped into Dr. Donald Lucas. Even though he was obviously leaving for the day, but agreed to sit with me for five minutes and help me out. I did my best to describe how I wanted to make an impact in the world around me, and he uttered three words that set me on the path I am on today. Industrial Organizational Psychology, the concept of using a methodical, psychological approach towards how businesses and organizations operate and can improve. The ability to facilitate positive change in business and government was a key feature of study within the field and it was everything I had wanted for myself.
Had we stopped there, Dr. Lucas would already have played a significant role in my life, but that is not Dr. Lucas’s style. Even as a freshman, he took me under his wing, involving me in his research and introducing me to the field. I am happy to say, we are presenting our first study together at the South Western Psychological Association this April. It is because of his suggestion, and occasional “gentle” nudge, that I am a member of all three honors societies here at Northwest Vista College, two of which I am a presiding officer for. Further even still, he has made a huge point to help me start developing a social network, introducing me professors and department heads of other schools, as well as researchers that I very well may be working with in the future.
More than any other reason, Dr. Lucas should be honored because I am not the only the only student he has watched over. In the twenty years that he has been the head of the Psychology Department here at Northwest Vista College, he has helped dozens of young individuals into their future careers and beyond, and has worked diligently to build a network of former students that will ensure the success of his future ones.