Dr. C…

September 11, 2001.

Newlywed and wide-eyed…together and side by side. The radio blasting Y2K jams until it wasn’t. ‘We interrupt this broadcast…’

Turn the dial to another Y2K jam until again, ‘We interrupt this broadcast…’

Turn the dial. Newscaster’s voice about something worlds away in New York City.

My babyfaced husband said, ‘Don’t you think we should listen to what they’re saying?’

Staring out the windshield of the Chevy Blazer, driving down a rural four lane highway littered with freshly harvested corn fields is where we heard the world stop turning.

Arriving on our university’s campus, we parted ways- he to the business building and me to the communications building.

I climbed the stairs and started down the hall. Groups of students were gathered around a television in a common space. I peeked in and saw it.

Head down, eyes forward…to Mass Communications. Unlike most of the freshman in my class, not only was I newly married, I was also in my senior year. But, a late major change to something that filled my soul- communications- put me at the starting line, with a bit of a head start.

And she walked in…

Dr. C.

This intro level class was filled to the brim with young hearts and minds and she knew it. Standing before us she said, ‘This is so much. I’m not sure I can teach you today. You are dismissed.’ She may or may not have told us she loved us, but her soulful and kind eyes said she did- in what is my earliest memory of her.

Fast forward to gentler times…

Dr. C was once again in front of me in another classroom. This one with a fraction of the students. It was Senior Seminar. And her role was to ensure her students had the skills necessary to land that first job- and grow.

‘I would like everyone to line up in front of me. When it’s your turn, walk forward and introduce yourself with your best handshake.’

Shoulders back, eyes locked into hers…I walked forward. She grasped my hand with a smile and held it there while she discussed the placement of my fingers, the firmness of my grip and the sincerity on my face. She ensured my first impressions from that point forward, for the rest of my life, set me up for success. And she did so with such grace that judgment had no room to exist.

‘Our graduation celebration will be a luncheon where we will learn about fine dining and table etiquette. I’d like you to wear the business suit you plan to interview in with an understanding that many job interviews take place over a meal,’ she said.

And so we did.

White linen tablecloths, lovely glassware and shiny cutlery before us, we held onto every word. Some of us had been at tables like this before and some of us had not. I was of the latter.

She guaranteed I knew how to properly shake a hand and she made certain no person would ever question my place at any table from then on. No other class did that. No other teacher. Just Dr. C.

Graduation day. They called my name, I gave my newly minted professional handshake, grasped the first college degree in my mother’s family and paused for the photo.

As I walked off the stage, there she was. Dr. C. Sitting in her well-respected academic regalia with her colleagues, she showcased her bright smile and with her hands clapping she shouted, ‘Congratulations Crystal- WITH A JOB!’

I was fortunate enough to have landed a job shortly before graduation. After a year into it, an opportunity in Nashville presented itself.

I called her and said, ‘I have an interview that could change my life. It’s at the State Capitol and I need your help.’

She gave me her home address, a date and a time before saying, ‘When I open the door, you’re on full interview. Wear the outfit you’ve selected and bring your portfolio.’

And I did. It was a full dress rehearsal with the teacher who taught me so much more than what was in a textbook.

I got the job.

Time moved on and we stayed in touch…always updating one another on life changes. A visit to my office in Memphis with the Women in Communications club she advised at my alma mater, a homecoming football game with our daughter…and social media.

Recently, I received a package from newly retired Dr. C. In it were two paintings. One for me and one for our little girl.

Tears of gratitude. A heart full of gratefulness. Since 2001.

Thank you my sweet friend, Dr. C. I love you forever. ❤️

Dr. Teresa Collard

Ocean View, 2024