To whom it may concern:

Looking back on the four years I spent at Montreat, I greatly value my friendship with Brian.  Yes, we all called him Brian.  “Mr. Fuller” just didn’t fit, and Brian wouldn’t let us say it either.  Though he was our teacher, he was also our friend.  Yet, I believe it is safe to say that he struck fear into every one of his students.  Brian exudes a standard of excellence, and he expects no less from those who attend his classes.  He exemplifies this standard in his masterful teaching.  If it were not so, Brian would not have been able to command the respect of his students while getting to know them on a first name basis.  But as you can see from these many letters, we all hold him in very high regard.

Most of my time with Brian was spent in the Greybeard workshop.  I majored in music at Montreat, but I took every Fuller course I could fit into my schedule.  I participated in many plays as an actor, a sound man, a stage crew member and a technical director.  These experiences were one of the highest points of my college years.  I learned how much dedication it takes to come away with a great show.  Brian doesn’t do “school plays,” he does “professional shows” with amateur students.  It involves teamwork, commitment and a great deal of heart.

This past year I had a wonderful opportunity to put to work all the knowledge I had learned from Brian.  I am currently living in Kiev, Ukraine as a missionary and music student.  Last February I was the assistant director for a$30,000 production of West Side Story here in Ukraine.  The skills I learned in Greybeard prepared me for the many difficulties that came with putting together such a production.  I remember the first day when I sat down with the director.  He said, “Well, here is the script.  Where do we start?”  Thanks to Brian, I knew exactly where to start.  Brian teaches people to do what others see as impossible.  Such things are lessons integral to life.  Brian doesn't just teach English Communication.  He teaches students how to live.  He is not a teacher.  He is a mentor and a friend, and will always be close to my heart.

Sincerely,

Matt G. McMurrin
Conductor of the Kyiv Youth Symphony and Orchestra
Student of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music
Kiev, Ukraine