‘My greatest gift is encouragement’ – Eichman-Dorr joins SCC’s English instructional staff
Noel Eichman-Dorr, a Manhattan, Kan. native, entered her 17th year of teaching at Southeastern Community College as the newest English instructor on campus. Teaching classes in Writing and Inquiry and British Literature, Eichman-Dorr is ready to immerse her students in the world of stories and film so they may learn life lessons and apply them to real life.
“It’s thoroughly enjoyable to show students how they can take stories and apply them to real life,” Eichman-Dorr said. “There are so many lessons involved in stories and film. I use film a lot to teach my students.”
The key factors in Eichman-Dorr’s decision to work at SCC were the small-town feeling, the close proximity to the beach and working with first-generation college students. She said that working with non-traditional four-year university students and students who needed extra encouragement is her favorite part of the job.
“I think my greatest gift is encouragement,” Eichman-Dorr said. “Since I was the daughter of an army officer who moved around a lot and changed schools in the middle of the year, I know what it’s like trying to fit in. So, I think that gives me a big heart for working with students who might not feel as confident as your traditional college student.”
According to Eichman-Dorr, English courses are important for students because they help them to “consider things more carefully and become more aware of seemingly unrelated connections.” She said that students can apply this connection skill in the workplace to come up with solutions to problems, and they can be a more effective part of that profession. Even as a nurse or a welder, Eichman-Dorr explained that English teaches students to think more critically and analytically.
Eichman-Dorr earned her bachelor of science degree in pre law, human development and family studies from Kansas State University in 1988. She earned a master’s degree in English at KSU in 2004. She is working on a PhD in English at Liberty University and plans to defend her dissertation in 2027.
Eichman-Dorr’s teaching career started at Danville Community College, where she taught writing and literature courses as an associate professor of English and served as the honors director. She moved on to Delaware Valley University and then to Livingstone College in Salsbury, where she served as the QEP Director and Writing Center Director. She moved back to Delaware Valley and then ended up at SCC, where she started as an English instructor in August this year.
“I love working with the students,” Eichman-Dorr said. “The students seem to be appreciative of coming here to school, there’s a fabulous faculty to work with and I enjoy my supportive colleagues. This college has a very efficient system as far as recruitment and supporting students, and this is a very clean campus. It’s the cleanest campus I’ve ever taught on.”
Within the next five years, Eichman-Dorr sees herself working at SCC, completing her PhD and developing curriculum to incorporate into her classes. As a PhD candidate, she has been exposed to a “whole new variety of literary sources and research” that she uses in her classes right now.
“It’s a goal of mine every day to be the best teacher I can be to my students and to be the best colleague for my peers,” Eichman-Dorr said. “Because it’s not about me. It’s about my students and what I can do for them, and that’s what I love doing.”
Outside of work, Eichman-Dorr loves to watch movies, explore nature and go to the beach. She has three adult children, Derek, Staton and Alexandra. She loves spending time with her 4.5-year-old, 110-pound all white dog named Baby and her 3-year-old Siamese cat named Dewey. Eichman-Dorr belongs to the American Comparative Literary Association and Modern Language Association.
Interested in taking one of Noel’s English classes? Click here to learn more about SCC’s Associate of Arts degree program!
