Scott Wilson

When Scott Wilson was in the fifth grade, he assisted one of his neighborhood friends with a homework assignment they were struggling with. That was his first experience doing what would ultimately become his lifelong passion.

Many students will know Wilson from their speech courses at COTC where he teaches Public Speaking, Fundamentals of Communication and Small Group Communication.

Before he was a professor, Wilson was a student at The Ohio State University at Newark. Originally considering a law degree, he later switched to secondary education, where he majored in English. His first teaching job was a tutoring gig during his undergraduate days, but upon graduation, he quickly landed a position teaching at C-TEC nearby before coming to COTC.

Wilson is COTC’s longest teaching faculty member with 44 years of service and has seen firsthand time and again the value of communication and speaking skills in the workforce. “I tell my students; you’ve got this degree, you’re after your dream job. Do you know what’s going to have to happen before you get the dream job? You’re going to have to go out for an interview,” Wilson explains. “A lot of people think the interview is to see if you’re qualified. They’ve already figured out you’re qualified – they want to find out if you’re a good fit with the organization.”

One story that sticks out in Wilson’s expansive teaching career is a student who came to his class terrified of public speaking. After his advisement and encouragement, the student went on to not only earn the highest grade in his class but also subsequently enroll in additional elective speech courses. Upon graduating from COTC this student earned a degree in communications at a four-year university.

Wilson noted that students at COTC have a sense of “internal motivation” that encourages them to perform their best academically, both in his courses and overall. “You hit the ground running with a two-year versus a four-year degree,” he states. He also says that COTC staff and administration have contributed to his long career at the college. “They’re very supportive of us.”

Here is one piece of advice he offers to his students: “Instructors have a perception you’re going to be more engaged if you’re sitting up front. There are also fewer distractions students have to deal with if they sit up front.

“In my opinion, one of the most important jobs of an educator is to have students become educated consumers of knowledge,” Wilson affirms. “The more educated students are about inherit biases, the more they can make educated decisions.”

When he’s not teaching, in the winter you can find Wilson hitting the slopes at Snow Trails Ski Resort where he serves as the Newark campus ski club advisor. When it gets warmer, there is a good chance you will find him on weekends at the Dennison Golf Club where he serves as the head ranger and starter — a position that allows him to enjoy free golf while also practicing his communication skills. He also has three grandchildren he enjoys spending time spoiling.