Hinds Community College Business Administration Instructor Mike Clark of Madison, who is retiring, was named the Teacher of the Year by Raymond Campus Honors and Phi Theta Kappa students.
Students nominate and select instructors for the honor, which is a surprise announcement in April.
“I was really pleased when I saw who this person is. It’s someone that we all love,” said Honors Institute Dean Tim Krason. He read a handful of comments nominating students made about Clark:
“This teacher always reminds me not to limit myself not only in my education but also in my life.”
“This teacher is always willing to talk about not just what’s going on in the class but what’s going on in my life plans and in my career path.”
“This person shows us real life examples of how to succeed.”
Clark said he was in the business world for many years before he started teaching 11 years ago. “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “We need to help our students realize what they can achieve. We don’t need to cater to their weaknesses. We need to challenge. We need to help them become who and what they can become.
“My mission has always been to prepare them, number one, for university. But number two, for life. And if we do anything less – even if that means we lose students – we’re cheating.”
With six campuses in central Mississippi, Hinds Community College is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills.