The best teachers have a way of inspiring us to become different people. Teaching is more complex than simply distributing knowledge. Insightful educators know this to be true. And every learner, no matter their age, deserves to connect with a teacher who inspires and changes the course of their lives and/or introduces them to new ways of thinking. Such people have the ability to detect the hidden potential of others. Dr. RoseMary Weaver was that person for the countless lives she touched. As my college advisor and mentor, she had a kaleidoscope view of life, and could envision the possibilities of the world and particularly what it should be for educators and learners. She was just the influence I needed during the time I was returning to college at nearly 30 years old as an older student at Williams Baptist College, now Williams Baptist University.

Dr. Weaver held several degrees, including a bachelor’s in education from Arkansas State University, a master’s in education from ASU, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi. But more than the degrees, she had a gift.

I had never met a teacher who was so joyful and knowledgeable about children and teaching, and I had experienced numerous teachers by the time our paths crossed. She was my Mrs. Frizzle. (If you’re unfamiliar with that reference check out “The Magic School Bus”.) All my educational successes and opportunities, and I am blessed to have had several, I owe to her example and teaching. Dr. Weaver represents the perfect illustration of just how far a teacher’s influence spans. From her encouragement and inspiration, I went on to teach classrooms of children for many years. I wrote a Missouri history activity book implemented in classrooms across that state. I served on DESE school accreditation teams and assisted schools to exit school improvement status. I presented in districts to share what I had learned because as RoseMary demonstrated, there is no gatekeeping among educators. Every professional achievement I earned placed me in situations to influence and help more districts, teachers and students.

No matter our professions or accomplishments, all of our successes rest on the shoulders of others. Yes, we do the groundwork and put in our time, but if not for the examples, inspirations and guiding hands of our predecessors, our achievements would not be possible. Dr. Weaver had the insight, as all the very best teachers do, to see what people could become, and if you paid attention to her perception, you could see it too. That is the magic of a teacher who can affect change in their students. They compel people to believe in themselves and their future. Anyone can stand in front of a classroom and teach from a textbook or SmartBoard; not everyone has the gift to affect lives. RoseMary had the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff among her undergraduates and create teachers who could reach students and turn them into lifelong learners.

She also knew her own potential and lived life courageously. She loved to travel, and she applied to be the first teacher in space and wanted to teach from the Challenger. Christa McAuliffe from New Hampshire, as you probably know, was selected to the NASA Teacher in Space Project and on January 28, 1986, perished when the shuttle broke after launch, killing all onboard.

Dr. Weaver was an educator’s educator and a champion of public education. She supported positivity, but she would tell you the undiluted truth and honestly assess any situation. That’s the best type of mentor and friend to have in your life. She was someone that you would want in your tribe because she was compassionate, strong, independent, loyal and so very funny. She firmly believed in equality across the board and, of course, Women’s Rights. She was a multifaceted diamond in a world full of cubic zirconia. She knew how to take prospective students who were instructors in the rough and transform them into professional educators, just as she took this late bloomer and saw my potential.

I met her shortly after she began working in the early 1990s at Williams Baptist College, as the first chair of the Williams Teacher Education Program. She would also direct the col-lege in beginning its Bachelor of Science in Education degree. The program earned respect across Arkansas, southeast Missouri and anywhere a graduate of one of its eight education majors taught. When schools and administrators interviewed and hired teachers from Williams, they soon learned that those teachers were exceptional. That was largely due to Dr. Weaver and the high expectations she held for her teachers and relationships with them.

She would later spend a period of time serving the Pocahontas School District as curriculum director. In 2016, she rejoined Williams Baptist University as the dean of graduate and online programs and retired in 2018. I have no doubt the teacher program at WBU is successful today because of the path carved by Dr. Weaver.

An analogy to describe her impact on the lives of others is that of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. If she had never lived or I had never met her, all the schools and people I was able to help would never have happened, and I’m but one person she took under her wing. There are countless others that were under her tutelage that have gone on to touch many lives. There are some people who can inspire others to want to be the best version of themselves and she was that type of person. As Clarence said to George Bailey, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

She and I corresponded occasionally after I graduated from college. I lost touch with her when she moved to Cape Girardeau a few years ago after she retired. I received the devastating news last week that she had passed away and the colors of the world seem a little dimmer. She was a guardian of education and learning. Those who knew RoseMary Weaver can find comfort and strength in being the sentinels of her legacy. After all, receiving a heritage such as the one she left for us requires that we pick up her torch to light the way for future generations.

Pam Lowe is the editor of the Clay County Courier. Readers may contact her at plowe@cherryroad.com