Call Me MISTER: A Story Of Mentorship In Iredell County

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By Derick Lee, EdNC 

Mark Wellman is an assistant principal with Iredell-Statesville Schools (ISS). He also serves as the district coordinator of the Call Me MISTER program, a mentorship program for students.

For Wellman, working with ISS is a full-circle moment. He attributes his ability to show up for students to the impact of the mentorship he received in life.

The great equalizer 

His parents, J.D. Wellman and Doris Davidson Wellman, were named as the most influential individuals on his journey in education.

“I had two parents that nurtured me, that loved me, that put tools in my tool belt, while at the same time holding me accountable from a place of love,” Wellman said.

In their household, education was considered to be “the great equalizer” – making the “ground even for everybody.” 

As a multi-sport athlete, Wellman recalled seeing his father at games periodically. Yet, when it came to academic related activities, his father would request off work to be in attendance. “Him and my mom would be the first one in the auditorium,” he shared. 

As a result, Wellman said that early in his education, “it was very important for me to grow and build on what was important to my parents.”

 

Call Me MISTER

Having gone into business as an undergrad, it wasn’t until he was 35 that Wellman entered the teaching profession. Though he feels blessed for his prior career experience, Wellman said, “now I’m doing something that I can’t wait to do every day.” 

Wellman spent the first five years working at the district’s alternative school. He went on to work at North Iredell Middle School until he acquired his master’s degree, which opened the opportunity for the administrative role that he has today. 

It was during the 2020-21 school year that he first learned of the Call Me MISTER program. 

MISTER stands for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models. The program began at Clemson University but has partnerships throughout South Carolina and several other colleges across the country. According to their website, their goal is to “increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background, particularly among the State’s lowest performing elementary schools.”

Wellman runs the mentorship cohort at the middle and high school level for students in Iredell County as an early entry for boys to consider teaching as a profession. What hooked him into being involved was the opportunity to “encourage the young men to grow and cultivate needed skills and the promotion of being successful across all settings.” 

As a part of the program, participants volunteer as tutors to elementary students while providing support to teachers. The group of approximately 50 students also engages in community-based volunteering such as youth empowerment events and Christmas gift distribution. Additionally, mentees participate in college visits and personal development workshops. 

It takes a village

Wellman reflected on several other mentors along his path. More specifically, he was raised in a family of other educators. One impactful moment that he recalled was when his aunt, a high school teacher at the time, took him to his very first day of school. 

Born and raised in Statesville, Wellman attended East Iredell Elementary – the same school that he now works as the assistant principal. A significant figure that he recalled was his fifth grade teacher, Lou Strickland. He described her as a “little lady” in stature, but far from little in her ability to love.

“She genuinely seen me and she genuinely valued me,” he said. 

Additionally, Wellman shared about how witnessing his uncle go to college helped make it a reality for himself.

“It’s one thing for someone to tell you that you can, but then when you see someone in your family do it, then you really know that you can,” he said. 

Fayetteville State University would become his home away from home. Being away from his parents, his recruiter, Tony Baldwin, and the then-head of the Office of Admission, Charles Darlington, became his mentors. They spoke to him in ways that made him feel like he would be okay while encouraging his success. According to Wellman, they instilled in him the “can-do” attitude. 

Present day, those are things that he works to pass down to his mentees. 

Looking ahead

Wellman expressed gratitude to the district for their support in sustaining the program. He believes in the program’s ability to provide foundational experience for mentees, allowing them to be better prepared should they enter the teaching profession.

In all, Wellman sees it as another opportunity for ISS to cultivate their next generation of educators as a “Grow Your Own” model. 

Looking ahead, Wellman has goals to expand. More specifically, he desires to spread to middle schools and high school students within the outer areas of the school district. He also hopes to continue to collaborate with colleges, such as Western Carolina University, which has its own Call Me MISTER program. Notably, Wellman has welcomed girls as a part of the mentorship, and sees opportunity to further develop programming tailored to the interested in needs. 

“It’s a privilege for me to be able to do this, and I truly believe that Call Me MISTER demonstrates what it truly means to take care of other members in our society,” Wellman concluded.