She got the education. She put in the hard work, but Duck never became a famous writer. Don’t feel sad for her though. Like many of us, as she grew up her dreams changed. While there was always a voice in her head that said, one day when she had some extra time she might sit down and get to work on the next Great American Novel, she had found a new passion – teaching. So, after finishing her degree at Prairie View, Duck headed even further from her country roots to Conroe, Texas, a town 40 miles north of the bustling city of Houston to share the lessons of her youth and inspire a new generation to believe that, through education they could be anything. It wasn’t always easy. She started teaching at Washington High School, the school all the black kids attended in the area when they were of age. Eventually she moved onto Conroe High School after integration. Through 32 years she taught English and other subjects for the school district, most in room 117. There were times when money was short, when she was left alone with two young boys following a divorce and things seemed dim, but she never lost her laugh, love of learning, or the ability to inspire both in others – especially her boys.
#TeacherAppreciationWeek
