Why did you choose to attend the University of Mississippi?
I wanted to leave Florida but not hte south and after visitng Oxford and Ole Miss I IMMEDIATELY decided to apply as I had fallen in love with the school, its people, and the area. Add to the fact they have a tremendous history department and literary legacy, I was hooked.
Tell us about a favorite memory, professor, and/or academic course during your time at the School of Education:
Wow so many to pick from. The fact that the education classes were so small you really got to know both your classmates and your professors. Dr Maxey was very special and my internship or practice teaching at Pontotoc Central High School reenforced that I had made the right decision of becoming a classroom social studies teacher. First impressions mean so much and Pontotoc made me feel so at home, both the town and the school. It sealed the deal.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishments (both personally and professionally)?
Personally, my family because my wife has been with me throughout my professional career backing me up as a teacher and a coach. My two children, Tucker, Ole Miss '23, and daughter Mallory, both have made me so proud and what is really neat is that I got the privilege of teaching both of them AP US History. To share the story of the American people every day with your two children seated beside their friends and our neighbors is something very special and seldom occurs. I am blessed.
How did you become interested in your field?
I have always loved history and school and have had the best teachers who were role models for me growing up. I was considering law school and was accepted to the three I applied to, but I really loved teaching. I know I made the correct decision. The interaction, the give and take, the "light bulb" effect you get to witness firsthand and how your students become your extended family is simply the BEST!
Tell us about your community involvements and/or hobbies:
I am a family guy with my wife and two children. We have been very fortunate to have traveled much of the world. I am also very involved with my church attending, volunteering, and teaching. I love to write having written and published my first novel, "It's Not the Heat, it's the Humidity, Stupid!" Free time here in Jupiter included walks and plenty of beach time. Dogs are also an important part of our family having raised five Golden Retrievers, one Australian Cattle Dog, and now a Southern Bloodhound. Of course, watching either in person or on TV my Rebels!
What does this award mean to you?
Receiving the Ole Miss School of Education Practitioner of Distinction award is truly the pinnacle of a career I have loved so much. As tell people, I NEVER went to work in 37 years because I was in a career I loved so much, it was NEVER a job. The fact that my alma mater that I love so much recognized me is just unbelievable. I am blessed.