Wright’s enthusiasm, passion for MC earns ‘Doc’ Quick Distinguished Staff Award
Michael Wright’s fondest memory from two decades of serving Mississippi Christian University is watching Van “Doc” Quick hold court at the Southern Baptist Convention.
“Just to be part of his aura was amazing,” Wright said of the late longtime dean of men, director of admissions and vice president for alumni and student affairs at MC. “Everyone who came up to the MC booth would ask, ‘Where’s Doc?’
“There was nobody like Doc Quick.”
If anyone comes close, it is Wright, MC’s dean of enrollment. In honor of his enthusiasm and passion for all things MC, Wright received the University’s Van “Doc” Quick Distinguished Staff Award at the 2026 Retirement and Years of Service Celebration on May 1.
“It was an incredible honor,” Wright said of the award. “If I have any similar skills, it’s because they’re God-given and I got to watch people like Doc Quick use theirs, and I learned from them.
“To have known him during the first half of my MC career and then, in my 20th year at MC, being honored with this award is a really sweet moment because of how much Doc Quick meant to me and to my career.”
Since 2005, MC has recognized an outstanding staff member with the Distinguished Staff Award. Renamed in 2010 in honor of Quick, one of MC’s most beloved and revered administrators who devoted more than three decades to MC as a leader in student and alumni affairs and made a lasting impact on the University.
Those who knew Quick see parallels in Wright. Mandy Martin, who served under Wright in the MC Office of Admissions for five years, said Wright embodies many of Quick’s qualities.
"Michael Wright comes closer than anyone to embodying the spirit of whom this award is named. I’ve witnessed on a daily basis how he lives out his love for the Lord, MC students and higher education - just like Doc did. And we all know the energy and passion he brings right along with it," said Martin, MC assistant director of alumni and family engagement.
Kyle Brantley, an adjunct faculty member at MC who previously worked alongside Wright in the Office of Admissions, commented on his leadership.
“He is a servant leader in every respect, always putting other before himself and always thinking of the student first,” Brantley said. “He is a developer: he sees the potential in others and pours himself into those around him so they can realize that potential. I’ve never seen him have a bad day. He is eternally happy and sees the positive in any situation.”
Angie Hardin has watched Wright grow from a recruiter to a leader at MC, and what stands out most is his passion.
“I have seen Michael work so hard to make sure prospective students are feeling seen and engaged at our events. He will walk up to someone who has no one talking to them and introduce them to another student – eventually, there will be an entire group gathered around, engaging with each other,” Hardin said.
That attitude stems from his time as an undergraduate student at MC. A Madison native, Wright was considering whether to attend a large state university or a small Christian college when he received some divine direction.
“I felt like the Lord was leading me to the kind of campus that MC was,” he said. “I didn’t want to get lost in the crowd. And I feel like the Lord used this place, the faculty and the community to really change my life.”
Weeks before graduating from MC, Wright and his best friend, Reed Nunnelee, were discussing their futures when a chance meeting in the Caf changed Wright’s path.
Admissions Counselor Lindsey Hester told him about an opening in Admissions, allowing him to work full time while earning his master’s degree.
“I could talk about this place that had changed my life, and I could continue my education,” Wright said. “I ended up falling in love with higher education, while helping students find the next fit for their lives. I got to share all the life-changing moments that had happened to me with the next group of college students.”
He began his MC career as an admissions counselor, advanced through several roles and now serves as dean of enrollment. Along the way, he earned a master’s from MC and Doctor of Organizational Leadership from Abilene Christian University.
He may no longer be on the “front lines” of student recruiting, but as an adjunct faculty member, Wright still shares his wisdom and life experience with students.
“My favorite part of working here is helping students find where the Lord is leading them. They get to take a breath and all the stress and chaos of the college search is over, and they figure out where they fit,” Wright said.
“I just love coaching, teaching, educating, and guiding the next generation of college students to help them figure that out. That’s what keeps me coming to work every day.”
Wright credits his wife of 10 years, Dana, a counselor at Clinton High School, and their two daughters, Darby, 6, and Collins, 4, for giving him the proper perspective on life. The Wrights attend Pinelake Church in Clinton, where Dana and Michael serve in the children’s ministry and the care center.
A running enthusiast, Wright competes in ultra marathons and completed the Pinhoti 100 through the mountains of Alabama with Nunnelee at his side.
What he enjoys the most is helping students discover Mississippi Christian University, a place he knows firsthand can change lives.
“At MC, we’re about two things: academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ,” he said. “There are a lot of places that do one of the other, but not many are as excellent at doing both like we are at MC. Every day, we are helping students become successful in their chosen fields and transform the world for Christ. There’s nothing better than that.
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