The parents of Terence Hicks ’12PHD did not go to school for about six years in the early 1960s when Prince Edward County, Virginia, closed public schools there rather than integrate them following the Brown v. Board of Education decision and subsequent court rulings.
That interruption of his parents’ education, Hicks said, “motivated me academically to become who I am today.”
Today, he is a professor and former dean at East Tennessee State University’s Clemmer College of Education and Human Development. He’s also the author of 11 books, including An Educational Journey to Deanship: A Memoir and The Educational Lockout of African Americans in Prince Edward County, Virginia (1959-1964): Personal Accounts and Reflections.
Because of his work, Hicks has been named a Virginia Social Science Associate Scholar and received a Legacy Award from NC State’s Black Alumni Society.
Hicks, who earned his Ph.D. in counseling and counselor education from the College of Education, shares why he chose education and how it has impacted him.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why I Chose Education:
The lockout of my relatives and my parents motivated me to seek more education and to motivate others. My whole thing is to try to lead students and set a great example for them to follow. This is just a passion; I love education.
How Education Shaped Me:
It goes back to mentors that I had when I was a young kid, and the mentors who helped me while I was in graduate school. I saw other professors who were standing up in front of the classroom and lecturing, and I said, ‘I want to be able to be a person like that, to be able to guide and instruct other students in the classroom.’ I’ve moved from Philadelphia to Maryland to North Carolina to Texas to Tennessee, all because of research and education. To me, education is the key to success
What I Enjoyed Most About the NC State College of Education:
The faculty members within the College of Education were engaging in the classroom, and they were known researchers in their field of study. What also stood out to me was the faculty members did not just teach, they were leading scholars in their discipline.
What Others Should Know About the College of Education:
When I wanted to get my Ph.D., I wanted to get it from a research institution. The College of Education is No. 1 for producing STEM educators in North Carolina, top 5% percent in active research funding among colleges of education in the United States and is ranked 30th among colleges of education in the United States. They prepare educators and leaders.
The Last Thing That Inspired Me:
Receiving the NC State Black Alumni Society Legacy Award. I was blessed to be among the award recipients at the ceremony, and to be in the room with those others was breathtaking. It felt good to come back to NC State after 10 years or so, and see the campus to get that feeling of being in the Wolfpack.
- Categories:
