Giving Back to Future Educators:
The Impact of Dr. Imogene Mathison Mixson By Amanda Coffman
D
r. Imogene Mathison Mixson (Ph.D. ’72) sums up her outlook on philanthropy with the words of John Bunyan, who wrote “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” Bunyan’s insight into giving back could easily be considered a mantra for all educators. Educators give of their time and their talent to help young people improve and grow without any expectation of reward or recompense from their charges. Mixson always wanted to be a teacher and was destined to be a leader in education. The Alabama native graduated valedictorian of Ozark High School, earned her bachelor’s in English education at Troy University and spent the first seven years of her career in education as an English teacher at Dothan High School. While continuing to teach, Mixson earned her master’s in English education from Auburn University in 1963, in the same year that the state legislature formed the Alabama Community College System to provide affordable education and technical training to students across the state. Mixson saw her opportunity to serve the Alabama Wiregrass community where she was raised and joined Enterprise State Community College as an English instructor in 1966. By 1968, she was chair of the English department. After exploring graduate programs in the Southeast, she chose Florida State
22 | THE TORCH - FSU COLLEGE OF EDUCATION MAGAZINE
University, where she would go on to receive a Ph.D. in English education in 1972. After completing her first term during her year of residency, she was awarded a full fellowship that provided not only financial assistance, but the encouragement and confidence that continues to inspire her today. “This moment for me was transformational,” says Mixson. “It’s one among many memories that motivates me to give back to a place that has made such a positive impact on my life, since the summer term of 1967 when I first enrolled in the College of Education.” Over her thirty-seven-year career in public education, Mixson served as an English instructor, English department chairperson, academic dean and interim president. During her time as an educator, she was honored three times as Teacher of the Year. She also received the Distinguished Leadership Award and Administrator of the Year Award from the Alabama Community College System. In 2016, Troy University named her a Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, Auburn University’s College of Education named her the Outstanding Alumnus, and Florida State University’s College of Education presented her with our highest honor, the Distinguished Educator award, in 2016. The accolades she received would be testament enough to
