Jonathan and Mary Dukes impact Lee students through their vocations
All photos by Sydney Pressley.
Each morning, Mary and Jonathan Dukes start their day together with the familiar drive to Lee University. Mary stops to drop off Jonathan at the Watkins Building before ending her morning commute at the Communication Arts Building. Though they spend their days in different parts of Lee’s campus, the husband-wife duo’s passion for helping students is consistent.
Mary Dukes, a central Florida native, has been teaching at Lee since August 1999. She currently teaches in the Communication Arts department, but finds her favorite role as an academic advisor. For Mary, advising is more than just part of the job — she even refers to her advisees as her “kids.”
“Advising is one of my favorite things because I love to get to know my kids [with] a deeper connection,” said Mary. “It’s fun seeing them craft their schedules and working towards what they feel their calling is. I like to play a little part in that.”
Jonathan Dukes shares the same passion for helping students but fulfills that responsibility through a different avenue. Jonathan works as a counselor at the Lee University Counseling Center and has been serving students since August 2013.
“I found that [counseling] is much deeper and much broader. I found that I am here to sit with people and care for people,” Jonathan said. “I want every person that comes into my office to know that they matter — that their experience and feelings matter. I want them to know that someone is willing to sit with them in their pain.”
Jonathan is also legally blind due to a retinal-degenerative disease called Choroideremia. This presents a challenge, making it difficult to get around campus alone. While Jonathan knows he has certain limitations, he believes his disability does not define him. Instead, he chooses to use his unique perspective to his advantage.
“I am not dependent on what I see — I am dependent on what I hear. I get the privilege of navigating [this visual culture] in a different way,” he said.
Jonathan hopes others who have visual impairments can feel encouraged and still aspire to do what they have a passion for.
“You’re limited, but don’t limit yourself. There are plenty of things I can’t do, but there’s not a whole lot I won’t try to do. This doesn’t get to define me,” said Jonathan. “Keep going because there is more to do.”
When first exploring career options, Jonathan and Mary both had different aspirations. Jonathan studied English for his undergraduate degree, and Mary dreamed of a career in radio.
“I wanted to be a writer,” said Jonathan. “I never took a psychology class until grad school.”
Mary found herself working at a local radio station as a “stringer” right out of high school, and later became the news director of the station. Eventually, the job turned into a producing position for a TV show, which led her to Tennessee.
“I wanted to own a radio station,” said Mary, “but I have found my place teaching and advising [at Lee].”
Now working on the same campus, the couple pours into the lives of others while still being near to each other.
“It’s great to have your best friend just a couple of buildings away,” said Jonathan.
