Ask anyone in the Fruita 8/9 school who their favorite teacher is—what their favorite class is—and the answer will likely be Mr. Wilson’s literacy or mythology classes. He is widely known as one of the coolest teachers at the school, and one of the school’s favorite teachers. But do they know the man behind these amazing classes as well as they think they do? The answer is no; he has an incredible backstory that may go unspoken of.
Mr. Wilson was actually born in England, which is a bit of a surprise. His dad was in the military, which led to his family moving around a lot; living in Germany, and eventually Michigan in United States. Much like Fruita, the part of Michigan he lived in was rural (farms, corn fields, acres of distance in between houses is not uncommon). In other words, Wilson was a bit of a country boy when his family suddenly moved into the big city of Detroit. A city that is known for being tough to live in is even tougher for someone accustomed to quiet farm life.
“I developed some empathy, I think, for being the new kid, being the different kid, or things like that,” Wilson says. He was beat up and bullied, unfortunately, for being the new kid when he moved. Over 77% of students have been bullied in the United States, and it is a serious issue that is, hopefully, on its way to being resolved. It’s devastating that Mr. Wilson had to be one of those kids, but he would never have been who he is now if it hadn’t been for that.
It was not the switch in environments that led Mr. Wilson to become a teacher, though. When asked why he had decided to become a teacher, he explained that he was an ‘A’ and ‘B’ student until senior year of high school. He mentions that he had begun to slack, and his history teacher Mr. Cummins saved him from that hole he was digging himself into. Wilson began to come to class tardy almost every day. Mr. Cummins called Wilson out in front of the entire class once and chewed him out, which was likely a very embarrassing experience; however, later, the teacher talked to him about why he had called him out. He explained that he was upset with Wilson disrespecting his class, but that he cared and wanted him to succeed. Mr. Wilson says that he is the main reason he became a teacher.
Although he could not become a teacher right away (since he went into the air force straight out of high school), Mr. Wilson went to college to teach as soon as he could. He began teaching in a large school in Ohio before moving to Colorado to explore his hobby of mountain climbing, and continue teaching here, of course. Wilson says he really likes the Colorado lifestyle and the people here.
Mr. Wilson truly is an amazing teacher, and he proved that it is best to stay strong through life—and that one can do anything with grit. He is one of the most respectable teachers here, and one of the most respecting. He is a huge inspiration to the entire Fruita 8/9 school, and he deserves many thanks for his incredible teaching and his strong will.
(Thanks for reading!)