In memoriam
I got lucky.
During my first visit to High Point University in the summer of 2000, I was asked to meet with an academic advisor to get registered for classes. Instead of just one advisor, I was welcomed by two incredible faculty members: the venerable Dr. Head, and the very down-to-earth, fun and warm Dr. Mascali. I felt special, because Dr. Mascali was from Germany, just as I am. So there was a little piece from home here at this new school to greet me. I don’t remember much from the encounter, because I was somewhat intimidated, but I do remember Dr. Mascali seemed to be laughing at something; her inner comedienne always finding something in life to chuckle about.
I got really lucky to be an international student at High Point, while Dr. Mascali was here.
For one, she would sneak me German bread and advent calendars while I was a student worker in the Modern Foreign Language department during my last year. She selflessly shared her teaching techniques for lower-level language courses, some of which I use in my freshmen seminar this fall.
Dr. Mascali was warm, thoughtful, and inclusive - to everyone. And she treated us international students to her husband’s fine cooking every year for Thanksgiving!
I got really lucky to eventually have Dr. Mascali as one of my instructors.
During our linguistics course, Dr. Mascali taught me that accents and dialects were no indication of intellect. She all but preached this to the class, and it has remained with me over the years. Being an educator now myself, I sometimes have to remind my students and advisees that having a Southern drawl does not make folks “sound dumb.” I think this was important to her, because the region in which she grew up in Germany is sometimes made fun of for its dialect. And yet she is clear proof that intelligence has nothing to do with the way we talk.
I got lucky to have stayed in touch with Dr. Mascali over the years.
During a six-month job search at the end of graduate school, it was Dr. Mascali who sent me the ad for my first real job – one that I still have now, 6 years later.
I last saw Dr. Mascali in July of last year, in the comfort of her home. She was showing off recent interior design projects and was her vivacious, chatty self as we rehashed old stories, talked about future plans, and finally resolved the mystery that Greek Yogurt is really what we call Quark in Germany, and which neither of us had been able to find in stores here. Her excitement was so cute, and she sent one of her sons to the grocery store to get some – the plain kind. And then she e-mailed me later that night saying “It’s Quark!!!”
I left her house thinking that all would be well. Dr. Mascali was such a life-force. Such a determined and happy person that I was certain she would prevail. Sadly, it was not to be.
I got lucky.
And I am only one of hundreds of students Dr. Mascali has touched over the years. But if she’s had this kind of lasting impact on me, you can only imagine the difference she has made in others’ lives.
During my first visit to High Point University in the summer of 2000, I was asked to meet with an academic advisor to get registered for classes. Instead of just one advisor, I was welcomed by two incredible faculty members: the venerable Dr. Head, and the very down-to-earth, fun and warm Dr. Mascali. I felt special, because Dr. Mascali was from Germany, just as I am. So there was a little piece from home here at this new school to greet me. I don’t remember much from the encounter, because I was somewhat intimidated, but I do remember Dr. Mascali seemed to be laughing at something; her inner comedienne always finding something in life to chuckle about.
I got really lucky to be an international student at High Point, while Dr. Mascali was here.
For one, she would sneak me German bread and advent calendars while I was a student worker in the Modern Foreign Language department during my last year. She selflessly shared her teaching techniques for lower-level language courses, some of which I use in my freshmen seminar this fall.
Dr. Mascali was warm, thoughtful, and inclusive - to everyone. And she treated us international students to her husband’s fine cooking every year for Thanksgiving!
I got really lucky to eventually have Dr. Mascali as one of my instructors.
During our linguistics course, Dr. Mascali taught me that accents and dialects were no indication of intellect. She all but preached this to the class, and it has remained with me over the years. Being an educator now myself, I sometimes have to remind my students and advisees that having a Southern drawl does not make folks “sound dumb.” I think this was important to her, because the region in which she grew up in Germany is sometimes made fun of for its dialect. And yet she is clear proof that intelligence has nothing to do with the way we talk.
I got lucky to have stayed in touch with Dr. Mascali over the years.
During a six-month job search at the end of graduate school, it was Dr. Mascali who sent me the ad for my first real job – one that I still have now, 6 years later.
I last saw Dr. Mascali in July of last year, in the comfort of her home. She was showing off recent interior design projects and was her vivacious, chatty self as we rehashed old stories, talked about future plans, and finally resolved the mystery that Greek Yogurt is really what we call Quark in Germany, and which neither of us had been able to find in stores here. Her excitement was so cute, and she sent one of her sons to the grocery store to get some – the plain kind. And then she e-mailed me later that night saying “It’s Quark!!!”
I left her house thinking that all would be well. Dr. Mascali was such a life-force. Such a determined and happy person that I was certain she would prevail. Sadly, it was not to be.
I got lucky.
And I am only one of hundreds of students Dr. Mascali has touched over the years. But if she’s had this kind of lasting impact on me, you can only imagine the difference she has made in others’ lives.
It might sound cliché but I think it’s safe to say – she will never be forgotten.
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