A Continuing Student-Teacher Relationship at Thomas Jefferson
June 18, 2015
On May 30th—just two weeks after senior, and now graduated, Dustin Fox walked the stage at the Copley Hall graduation—Dustin walked again: this time, down the aisle with Jerica Duarte. The officiant was Professor William Slomanson, who thus performed his sixth Thomas Jefferson wedding ceremony. He has now done so for nine Thomas Jefferson students, faculty, and graduates. The Fox ceremony and reception were held at Old Poway Park in Poway California. It is the site of many weddings because of its beauty and serenity.
The highlights included Jerica’s arrival—with her train, by train. The picturesque venue features a short railroad track encircling the main wedding area, complete with a life-sized San Francisco-styled streetcar. The event was enhanced by the participation of 20 bridesmaids and groomsmen, mostly from central California.
As Professor Slomanson stated during the ceremony: “Dustin took three of my courses, was my Teaching Assistant, and we’re still talking! I knew he was especially smart when I first met his fiancée at the Barrister’s Ball. I know that Dustin will always have the last word—which will be ‘Yes, Dear.’” As Slomanson later quipped: “I thank Dustin and Jerica for their trust in me, which helped me find my altar ego.”
Dustin described this student-teacher relationship in the following terms: “After building a professional relationship, we were able to begin building a friendship. When it was time to choose someone to be an officiant, Professor Slomanson was the first person that came to mind. First, I knew he had done this before, so he came with some experience. Second, and most importantly, he is someone I tremendously respected. I knew he was someone I could count on with such a big event. Jerica, trusting my judgment, also agreed that Professor Slomanson was the right man for the job. He did an outstanding job with scripting the ceremony, and we are forever grateful for his efforts in making it a once-in-a-lifetime event.”