English teacher instills a love of literature from across the globe

The phrase, “education changes lives,” may sound cliché, but not to Dave Norris (B.A. ’77/H&S; M.A. ’79/H&S). The native of Covington, Va., became the first member of his family to graduate from college and now teaches English with the University of Maryland University College in Seoul, South Korea.

“I was raised by my grandfather and great-grandfather, neither of whom finished high school and thus did not know what a college education was all about,” he says. “I didn’t have a clue myself. I just knew that everyone who had what I wanted had gone to college.”

Norris arrived at Virginia Commonwealth University “at a wonderful time, the 1970s,” he says. He immediately felt at home among the mix of students and teachers. “I loved its atmosphere, its vibe,” Norris says of the university. “It was a wonderful learning experience. I wanted to be a student forever.”

Upon graduating from VCU, Norris taught at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and aboard ships with the U.S. Navy’s Program for Afloat College Education. He settled in Japan in 1985 and moved to Seoul in 1987 after joining the University of Maryland University College.

Even after 24 years of teaching experience, Norris still enjoys being in front of a classroom. “When a class starts to ‘work,’ it’s like magic,” he says. “I especially enjoy it when students start to show me things I’ve never seen in a text, even if I’ve taught it 50 times. I love to see that little light bulb suddenly go on over a student’s head.”

Among his favorite teaching moments is the time he took a student from an eighth-grade writing level to high-school equivalency in two weeks. “He was as proud as if he had climbed Mount Everest,” Norris says. He also appreciates it when he receives letters from students who decided to go into teaching because of him. “That brings a warmth to my heart.”

Norris, who has published poetry and prose in a number of print and online journals, including USA Deep South and The Chariton Review, received the 2006 Stanley J. Drazek Award for Excellence in Teaching at the University of Maryland University College. His future plans include more teaching, writing and learning. “I feel that our true purpose for being on this earth is to learn as much as we can while we are here,” he says.

To read selections of Dave’s work, visit www.usadeepsouth.com.

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