Teachers at all levels work daily to help their students be their best and reach their goals, something Wesley Montgomery recognized and took to heart as a college student.
Today, the tables have turned, and he is the one students look up to.
“Several professors at SEMO helped and inspired me along the way, which is why I chose a career in teaching,” said Montgomery, who recently was announced as Three Rivers College’s Adjunct of the Year for 2021.
“I enjoy helping others achieve their goals like my teachers did for me,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery “enjoys the love and respect of his students. He strives to develop a rapport with them and makes his lessons applicable to their real lives,” said Three Rivers President Dr. Wes Payne.
“Students continually recommend him to other students during registration, which is one of the highest compliments an instructor can receive,” Payne added.
During the COVID lockdown at Three Rivers College in the spring of 2020, Payne said, Montgomery “went beyond what was asked of him to stay in touch with students. Through Zoom sessions, he helped students with any issues to keep them in class and learning.”
He also has volunteered his time to help the college build courses and contributes constantly to efforts to redesign courses.
“He acts basically as a field operative for course design efforts in the English department,” Payne said.
Montgomery came to Three Rivers in 2016, serving as a tutor for two semesters at the college’s Malden campus.
“After tutoring students for two semesters, I took a job as an adjunct instructor of English for TRC,” Montgomery said.
The Dexter native holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Southeast Missouri State University (2013) and a master’s degree in English studies (2015).
In his spare time, Montgomery enjoys reading novels, short stories and essays of any genre. He also describes himself as “an enthusiastic football fan.”