“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” — Fred Rogers
Sitting on a US Army post in Afghanistan, Scot finally caved in and joined Facebook as his high school classmates were planning their 20th class reunion and he didn’t want to be left out. While he didn’t attend the reunion he reconnected with friends and went on to use social media to stay connected to family, friends and faith community even while he was away on military duty and to check in with those far away when he was back home.
What started out as purposeful became mindless scrolling. Hours of life were traded for likes, comments and memes. Realizing this, he has sought to purposefully put down his devices to regain control, create space and find peace while also being purposeful in picking them up to keep connections and engage in meaningful dialogue with a wider community.
Scot engages the world daily as the Senior Director of Military & Veterans Programs at Fayetteville Technical Community College. For over two decades he has also served as a US Army Chaplain, which he currently does as a Reservist. He is married to his partner in ministry, Rev. Paula McCosh, and they have four children (all now teens or adults) to whom they turn with questions on technology and culture. Scot holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work degrees and enjoys running and hiking to explore the world around him.