"Our Little Taste of Tennessee"
Erik Mash '93 keeps USN running.
Erik Mash ’93 already knew a good bit of the workings of USN before he became a student in the fall of 1989. His dad, Jimmy Mash, had helped build the West Wing and the Sperling Center—and became part of the USN staff the year after Erik started here. Erik himself worked here in the summers all the way through high school and afterwards through the summer of 1998.
“I wanted to go to USN because it was different,” says Erik. At USN he had access to programs like choir and a freshman Humanities course that had not been available to him before. He also got to be part of the first baseball team fielded by USN in 40 years and—“not to brag”—hit USN’s first homerun in 44 years (technically it would be USN’s first homerun ever, since the earlier one was during the PDS days).
This isn’t to say that everything was a field of dreams when Erik first got here. “When I first got here, I don’t think that my peers really understood me…. I came from a different—rural, agricultural, conservative—background. There were some hillbilly remarks and they stayed, but over time they became affectionate/an endearment so that finally in my senior sayings I had become ‘our little taste of TN.’” It clearly still makes Erik happy that this early challenge evolved into something positive. “Over time, like most people, you let negative memories fade and positive ones become more emboldened in your mind…. Wow. I have a lot of good memories.”
Among his positive memories are experiences with his teachers, especially Bill Rodriguez, “Mr. Rod,” and Debbie Davies. “Mr. Rod [helped me] understand physics in a very physical way. It really impressed me….a very practical way of teaching.” Erik cites Mr. Rod's using his own (orange) truck to demonstrate torque.
Debbie Davies “taught so that very difficult concepts could be understood and was very kind and patient with students figuring things out.” The wood puzzle Erik made for Ms. Davies his senior year is still a favorite of students.
Erik’s favorite memory of his time at USN was “at the end of senior year at the awards assembly, I received a scholarship from UT Knoxville agriculture school, and Dad received the staff appreciation award…I got to present it to him and he had to hug me…so I got that.”
A decade after he finished being a student at USN, Erik came back to work here in 2004 as the Facilities Manager, and this past summer he became USN’s Director of Operations. Also this year he reentered the classroom, this time as a teacher. A couple of years ago Lorna Morris ’91 approached him about helping out with her food sciences course and he guest-lectured about Animal Science (his major) and helped out with labs. Starting this year, he took over the class entirely. “I had thought about teaching for a long time, and now I’m finally doing it.”
Erik clearly has a fulfilled open life. “I think everybody knows everything about me.” Well, almost everything. “People might be surprised that I can be tender hearted. I’m really soft hearted…Old Yeller broke my heart well into high school.”
More USN News
List of 3 news stories.
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Athletes beyond Edgehill
Read MoreIt is common to have five or more University School of Nashville student-athletes sign college athletic commitment letters each year, and this year, USN saw eight more student-athletes commit to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. USN has several alumni participating in their chosen sport at the collegiate level from the Classes of 2021 through 2025. Continue reading to learn more about where Tigers are competing beyond Edgehill. -
Tech Bytes: Tips for summer
Middle School Educational Technologist Kari Luecke shares must-read articles and suggests options to declutter your smartphone and reduce screen time this summer.Read More -
6th graders head to capitol for spirited debate
Read MoreDuring a fun field trip to wrap up the year, students were able to debate on the House floor during a visit to the Tennessee State Capitol. See more photos from their final lesson here.
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.