‘Always an adventure’ – Gessel joins staff as new biology/anatomy instructor

An online job listing and close proximity to the beach was all it took for Mary Gessel to pack her bags and relocate to southeastern North Carolina from Maryland. With several degrees, a love for medical sciences and more than 20 years of teaching experience, Gessel found her new home at Southeastern Community College as the newest anatomy and physiology instructor.  

“Forty-five minutes after my first interview for the position, I was at the ocean,” Gessel said. “Despite the learning curve, I am really loving it here. I am amazed at how friendly and supportive everyone is, and from what I understand, that’s a part of being in the South.” 

Within 30 minutes of meeting her landlord, Gessel was signing a lease for her new three-bedroom, one-bath home in Lumberton. She was thankful for the welcoming atmosphere and new friends she had already made. 

“It’s amazing how quickly everything has fallen into place,” Gessel said. “In the long run, I think one of my favorite parts of this adventure will be how much leeway and freedom I have in teaching my classes. With that, I have so much responsibility in getting my students where they want to go. That’s what matters.” 

In the classroom, a typical week for Gessel includes two Anatomy and Physiology 1 lab courses at SCC, one Anatomy and Physiology 1 lab and lecture course taught at South Columbus High School and one Anatomy and Physiology 2 lab and lecture course at SCC. She is at SCHS five days a week, and her courses at SCC are two times per week.  

“Every day is different, and it’s always an adventure,” Gessel said. 

With this being Gessel’s first time teaching high school students, she was surprised and impressed with their dedication and study skills. Gessel said her high school students were comparable to her college students and exceeded them most of the time. 

Gessel’s post-secondary educational journey started at Southern Utah University, where she studied early childhood education and French. She traveled abroad for a year and a half and realized that early childhood education and French were not the right path for her. When Gessel returned to the U.S., she enrolled at Arizona State University and graduated four years later with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with an emphasis on biochemistry.  

Gessel’s love for teaching started after landing an internship at the National Institutes of Health in Phoenix, Ariz., where she worked for three years in medical sciences. It was there she discovered her love for anatomy and physiology. 

After leaving the NIH, Gessel was accepted to graduate school at the University of Minnesota. Upon graduating with a master’s degree in molecular cellular developmental biology and genetics, she landed her first teaching position at the former Dixie State University which is now Utah Tech University. With more work experience under her belt, Gessel returned to graduate school at Idaho State University and graduated with a master’s degree in natural science and biology. 

“I moved to the east coast about six years ago for better job opportunities and family reasons,” Gessel said. “I started teaching in Maryland at Fredrick Community College, and I got the opportunity to teach at three other colleges and a university.” 

The transition to Southeastern Community College has been a whirlwind of non-stop action made easier by the hospitality of the people she has encountered, Gessel said. 

“Out of the six colleges I’ve worked for, I’ve never been in a situation where you can call on multiple people all the time, and everyone will try to help you,” Gessel said. “It’s been a good experience.” 

Experiencing her first and second tropical storms within the first few weeks of the semester, Gessel said that canceling class was tough. Moving to southeastern N.C. and the fast-paced working environment she is in now, Gessel said one benefit was not having time to worry about moving.  

“Moving usually makes me nauseous,” Gessel joked. “I’ve just kind of decided that I will spend my life trying to get all my ducks in a row, but I’m pretty sure at least one of those ducks is a squirrel.” 

In her free time outside of work, Gessel loves being with her animals. She has six cats and joint custody of one dog that lives with her mom. Gessel is the second oldest of five siblings. When not with her pets, Gessel loves biking and traveling. She recently discovered a love for “do it yourself” home repair projects. 

“I have a lot of power tools, and I am very happy and proud of them,” Gessel said.