Courtesy of Michael V. Hannigan/Hannigan's Notebook

Dr. Jason Morrison is the fourth president of Trinity Valley Community College whom I have written about during my career.

But he is the first to surprise me.

He did it again last week when he challenged students in the Welding Program to a competition. One afternoon, he went up against student Daniel Lopez from Canton with predictable results.

Dr. Morrison lost -- and he won.

He won because another group of students knows he cares.

"I want to know what they're going to do with their life and what they have a passion for," Dr. Morrison said. "I'm willing to get in there with them, learn what they're learning, see what they're doing."

His willingness extends across all programs. The day after the welding competition, he was running drills with the football team. He's also hung out with the Esports team and dropped into a nursing class to participate in an exercise. He'll even head to the roof with the guy who changes out the freon in the air conditioners.

"I was blessed," he said. "I grew up in a middle-class household, had both parents that insisted I was going to get an education. They made sure I received what I needed to have."

"I've come across a lot of kids that don't have that," he said. "I want those kids to know someone cares about them."

This isn't a strategy or a calculated approach. It's just who he is.

"It's something that I believe in, something my wife believes in and that we're trying to instill in our daughter, Brennan, to be a servant leader," he said.

Servant leader: That's one of those titles you have to earn.

The fact it fits Dr. Morrison is no surprise.