MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Education played a huge role in Meredith Powers’ life well before she decided she wanted to become an educator. Following in the footsteps of her mom and grandmother, she decided to attend Middle Tennessee State University as an education major.

“The fact that my mom and grandmother attended MTSU made it special to me, but since becoming a student here, I have found my own reasons for loving it,” explained Powers, now in her senior year. “The College of Education has given me a sense of community and has made MTSU feel like home.”

Meredith, who grew up in South Pittsburg, a small community in southeast Tennessee, said education has always played a huge role in her family.

“My grandmother and mom dedicated their careers to education,” she said. “Growing up, I heard their stories and saw firsthand the impact they have on students and families in our community.”

With a vision impairment and being legally blind in one eye, Meredith said that challenges in her personal life, alongside her deep family ties, shaped who she wanted to become in her professional career.  

“My struggles have influenced me to want to work with children and remind them that having a disability does not determine how smart or capable they are,” she said.  “I understand what it is like to feel different, to have challenges that other people may not experience.”

Education big part of family legacy

Meredith’s mom, Candace Moss Powers, and grandmother, Sarah June Hunter Moss, have a combined 70 years of service in educational roles, including teaching, administrative, librarian, and leadership roles.

“My family has truly inspired me to continue the connection to education while also finding my own purpose within the profession,” Powers said. “Seeing the relationships they built and continue to build with students and the difference they made in their lives shows me how meaningful a career in education can be.”

When Candace attended MTSU from 1992 to 1996, she knew she wanted to be a teacher before she ever set foot on a campus founded more than a century ago as a normal school to train future educators.

“I knew I wanted to become a teacher, and I never considered attending college at any other university. I knew I was going to get an education that would prepare me for my career in teaching and my future endeavors,” she said.

Candace earned her bachelor’s in elementary education with an emphasis in K-4. She began her career as a substitute teacher before teaching kindergarten and first grade in Alabama and Georgia, before returning to Tennessee to earn her master’s in administration and supervision, and an endorsement in library information specialist from MTSU. She continued her career in the same school where her mother taught.

“In 2005, I became the librarian where my mom had been employed as an educator since 1967,” she said.

Candace went on to earn her educational specialist degree in administration and supervision, as well as an additional endorsement in ESL. She then served as an assistant principal for three years and then principal of South Pittsburg Elementary for 10 years before stepping into the role of director of PreK for Marion County Schools earlier this year.

“My mom has been my biggest influence and role model through the years. I was honored and blessed by many other educators over the years who encouraged me academically, nurtured my interest in reading and in child development and inspired me to be myself,” she said.

“Seeing her remembered and cared about, even years after the students moved on and started their own families and knowing she was such a positive influence in so many lives made me want to make a difference in kids’ lives too,” Candace added.

From night classes to principal of childhood school

Sarah June Hunter Moss has been retired from her role as principal at South Pittsburg Elementary for 20 years. She attended MTSU for two years from 1962 to 1964 while her husband was stationed overseas with the Air Force, where he serviced planes.

“The campus wasn’t nearly as big as it is now, so the walk between classes wasn’t an issue, and if we wanted a treat or to do some shopping after class, we would just walk to downtown Murfreesboro to a diner or the drugstore,” she recalled.

After her time at MTSU, she moved to Indiana, where her husband was stationed.

“Most of the females during this time period that worked professionally outside the home had three choices: nurse, secretary or teacher. I had several teachers who knew I loved children, but they also knew that to attend college, I would need help through scholarships, which meant superior grades and a well-rounded course of study. They made sure my goals were set and met,” she said.

After two years in Indiana, Sarah returned to Marion County, where she began teaching first grade at South Pittsburg Elementary — the same school she attended as a child.

“At this time, educators could begin teaching after completing two years of college, and I had. While teaching, I continued to earn my bachelor’s degree at MTSU at night, making the 90-minute drive each way after working all day,” she recalled.

She completed her bachelor’s and master’s at MTSU before taking a leave of absence from teaching in 1973, when she welcomed twins.

“I enjoyed the rest of the school year with them but was ready to return to teaching in the fall of 1974,” she said.

“My mom taught first grade in our hometown for 25 years before moving into administration there,” said Candace. “You can imagine the number of times over the years that I have heard, ‘Your mom was my favorite teacher in school,’ or how often I have seen her approached in the community for a quick hug or catch-up session.”

When the principal position at the elementary school opened, Sarah said she was encouraged to apply. It’s a position she held until her retirement in the spring of 2006.

Following footsteps to ‘create my own story’

Sarah said that if she could do it all again, she’d still choose MTSU.

“When comparing brand new teachers and the programs they completed, the education program at MTSU turned out some of the best observed,” she said. “The support they offer, as well as the balance of lecture versus hands-on, on-site learning, is just right.”

While the matriarch of the family said she did not encourage her daughter or granddaughter to follow in her footsteps, she is proud that they did.

“You talk about what you know, about what you hold dear to your heart and have a passion for, and in this family, that continues to be education and the profession of teaching,” she said.

Meredith said she is proud to carry on her family’s tradition that began generations before her. Her training continues in a storied College of Education now led by Dean Neporcha Cone, and that carries the mantra of “Difference Makers” — a mantra that Meredith has seemingly embraced as graduation approaches.

“I am proud to follow in my mom’s and grandmother’s footsteps, but I am also excited to create my own story as an educator,” she said. “I hope that one day I can have a positive impact on children as they’ve had and continue to have in their careers.”

She continued, “For me, becoming a teacher is more than choosing a profession; it is an opportunity to help children recognize their potential and know that no disability, challenge or difference can define what they are capable of accomplishing in their lives. “I want my students to recognize their strengths, believe in themselves and know that doing something differently does not mean they cannot be successful.”

For more information on MTSU’s College of Education, visit https://education.mtsu.edu/.

— DeAnn Hays ([email protected])