Spring Break
Student teaches graphic design
After a professor's passing, junior Mark Willard coaches classes
Michael Mayday
Issue date: 3/13/08 Section: News
Ask any professor on campus if teaching college students is hard, and you'll probably get a resounding "yes." Mix teaching with study and you'll have the unique perspective of Mark Willard, a Hillsdale College junior.
Willard fills one of four spots left absent after Art Lecturer Patric Fourshé passed away Jan. 29.
"Mark isn't trained to be a teacher," Art Department Chairman Sam Knecht said, "He's a great guy, and is very responsible."
Willard, who had a close working relationship with Fourshé, is familiar with Fourshé's teaching method, and is coaching his Computer Graphics I class. Willard took three classes with Fourshé one semester, and knows the outline of Fourshé's projects and their design objectives, Knecht said.
"Mark has a clear sense of Fourshé's curriculum for the course, and he's maintaining that," Knecht said. "He has my full approval and support."
Willard's appointment happened by chance, he said.
"I was just happening to pass by the art department to say 'hi' to Professor Fourshé," Willard said, "when Professor Knecht told me that he had a heart attack."
Knecht then asked Willard to help coach the class until Fourshé became well again.
"This class period I had free at the time," Willard said. "So I just asked, 'How can I help the college?'"
Good news
Willard already assists the college by helping run the art department's Web site. He also runs his sponsor's Web site, campgoodnews.org.
Willard's sponsor, Faith Willard, runs an orphanage in Bangladesh. Faith saw talent in Mark there and brought him to Cape Cod, Mass. He then had an opportunity to enroll in college.
Mark chose Hillsdale at the suggestion of Bill Eberhart, a Hillsdale alumni and an influential history teacher for Mark. During summers in Cape Cod, Mark spent time teaching arts and crafts to campers.
After entering college, Mark noticed that Camp Good News didn't have a decent Web site. He set out to fix that by enrolling in three Web design classes in one semester, a move that puzzled Fourshé but also helped get the two to know each other.
Now, Willard coaches Computer Graphics I, maintaining and tweaking course projects for the rest of the semester. So far, Willard hasn't had a conflict.
Balancing classes
Willard's classroom is in a small, cramped and out of the way corner of Sage Center for the Arts. Six large monitors running Adobe Photoshop CS3 outline the room.
Today the students are finishing Photoshop projects. Soon they will learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator.
"I'm just kind of the coach here," Willard said.
Willard coaches his students by actively listening.
"I have to listen to what they say," Willard said. "I have to see the way they see things. It's not just the way I see things and apply what I see."
Senior Erin Julianus said the classes are good.
"He knows his stuff," Julianus said. "I guess it's no different than it would be with a regular professor."
Willard said he has no plans of teaching as a career. Instead, he hopes to go into programming and Web design.
Juggling his goals, school work and teaching is no easy task, and it comes at a cost.
"I just don't have free time," Willard said. "I only have free time when I go to bed."
Hillsdale College Collegian 2008
Willard fills one of four spots left absent after Art Lecturer Patric Fourshé passed away Jan. 29.
"Mark isn't trained to be a teacher," Art Department Chairman Sam Knecht said, "He's a great guy, and is very responsible."
Willard, who had a close working relationship with Fourshé, is familiar with Fourshé's teaching method, and is coaching his Computer Graphics I class. Willard took three classes with Fourshé one semester, and knows the outline of Fourshé's projects and their design objectives, Knecht said.
"Mark has a clear sense of Fourshé's curriculum for the course, and he's maintaining that," Knecht said. "He has my full approval and support."
Willard's appointment happened by chance, he said.
"I was just happening to pass by the art department to say 'hi' to Professor Fourshé," Willard said, "when Professor Knecht told me that he had a heart attack."
Knecht then asked Willard to help coach the class until Fourshé became well again.
"This class period I had free at the time," Willard said. "So I just asked, 'How can I help the college?'"
Good news
Willard already assists the college by helping run the art department's Web site. He also runs his sponsor's Web site, campgoodnews.org.
Willard's sponsor, Faith Willard, runs an orphanage in Bangladesh. Faith saw talent in Mark there and brought him to Cape Cod, Mass. He then had an opportunity to enroll in college.
Mark chose Hillsdale at the suggestion of Bill Eberhart, a Hillsdale alumni and an influential history teacher for Mark. During summers in Cape Cod, Mark spent time teaching arts and crafts to campers.
After entering college, Mark noticed that Camp Good News didn't have a decent Web site. He set out to fix that by enrolling in three Web design classes in one semester, a move that puzzled Fourshé but also helped get the two to know each other.
Now, Willard coaches Computer Graphics I, maintaining and tweaking course projects for the rest of the semester. So far, Willard hasn't had a conflict.
Balancing classes
Willard's classroom is in a small, cramped and out of the way corner of Sage Center for the Arts. Six large monitors running Adobe Photoshop CS3 outline the room.
Today the students are finishing Photoshop projects. Soon they will learn the basics of Adobe Illustrator.
"I'm just kind of the coach here," Willard said.
Willard coaches his students by actively listening.
"I have to listen to what they say," Willard said. "I have to see the way they see things. It's not just the way I see things and apply what I see."
Senior Erin Julianus said the classes are good.
"He knows his stuff," Julianus said. "I guess it's no different than it would be with a regular professor."
Willard said he has no plans of teaching as a career. Instead, he hopes to go into programming and Web design.
Juggling his goals, school work and teaching is no easy task, and it comes at a cost.
"I just don't have free time," Willard said. "I only have free time when I go to bed."
Hillsdale College Collegian 2008
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Photoshop Fan
posted 8/26/08 @ 7:32 PM EST
Kudos to Mark for stepping up to the plate.
Post a Comment