People

If you have ever had problems with math and taken the initiative to go get some help from the math office, you definitely know, and love, Mr. Dickson. If you don't know him then take my advice, stop by the math office and say hello. Trust me, you won’t regret it. 

Mr. Doug Dickson began his work at St. Andrew’s after COVID-19 hit. Kids started falling behind in math, which St. Andrew’s noticed and acted upon. He was hired in hopes to help out the teachers in the math department who teach multiple classes a day, and don’t have as much time to help out their students individually. That's where Mr. Dickson comes in, staying in the math office all day to help fill in these gaps for the math teachers. While other teachers are grading and teaching, Mr. Dickson is always there to help with any math question. If you were to talk to anyone here at St. Andrew’s, there is a very good chance that they go to Mr. Dickson and depend on him before any exam. His availability and easy-going personality creates an environment where students feel comfortable asking for help.

Mr. Dickson's job at St. Andrew’s follows his expansive experience teaching at other schools. However, Mr. Dickson says that his job here “has been a very happy thing” and that it has “kinda given me new energy in life.” He adds that compared to his previous occupations, where he had a different role then he does now, he is “dealing more with kids which is much more fun.” With his experience in numerous different school environments, his skill on how to approach kids who need an extra push is clear. 

Mr. Dickson grew up in New Hampshire and went to a large public school. There he began his football career which would eventually lead him to play in college at Middlebury. Once there, he was recruited for the lacrosse team as well. Mr. Dickson says that playing these two sports “was a foundational part of my experience in college.” 

At Middlebury, Mr. Dickson majored in math. He explains that math was always “really interesting and fun, especially in school” and that once he went to college it was more “challenging because it was really abstract,” but he continued to have fun with it. In spite of that, Mr. Dickson says that, “I think I truly didn’t understand math until I taught it so it just seems more fun every time I do it.” He adds that as he continues to teach and grow as a mathematician himself, it is “more rewarding when I see people get it.”   

When I asked Mr. Dickson about something that the students here at SAS might not know about him, he shared his love for working as a referee at lacrosse games here in Austin. He says that this is one of his very favorite things to do and that he does it more weekends than not. Other things that Mr. Dickson finds fun outside of being a mathematician are hiking and adventuring. He and his wife spend summers in New Hampshire at his lake house, which is also where he spends time with his big family.

One time while I sat in the math office, as stressed as I always am about math, I overheard Mr. Dickson as he was speaking to two freshman boys. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard the two boys exclaim, “Thanks sensei! See you tomorrow!” After these boys departed from the math office, I asked, “Did they just call you sensei?” Mr. Dickson replied, “Yup! They call me their sensei because I guide them through math but also I make sure they are having good behavior.” After hearing this, and seeing the same scene occur again and again, I can see what these boys mean. Mr. Dickson has helped a large number of students here and he has helped students pass classes they thought would be impossible to pass. 

Mr. Dickson really does help kids stay on their best behavior too with his encouraging and warm feedback. Usually any comment about behavior comes with a big smile and a pat on the back after. This comes from his advice that he gives to the kids here at SAS which is that “treating other people with respect and making sure that you treat others the way you want to be treated is so important.” He says that this will, without a doubt, benefit each of us in our futures because “when you're down, people who you have treated nicely and respectfully will inevitably come back and prop you up and help you.” 

If Mr. Dickson could work here forever, I am positive that every student would be more than happy with this, but he cannot. To end our interview, I asked Mr. Dickson what he wants to do after working here and he explains that he wants to spend time with his 5 year old grandson as much as he can. He wants to explore and adventure as well, and do this by extending his time spent in New Hampshire, with his wife. He says that in his years of retirement, “the go-go years, slow-go years, and no-go years," he wants to live his go-go years to their full advantage.  

Mr. Dickson’s impact on the students here at SAS will last a very long time and on behalf of all the students he has mentored, I’d like to say “Thanks sensei!”