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Wilcox Named Humanities Teacher of the Year
WILCOX NAMED 2020 HUMANITIES
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Ever since Chicago-born art instructor Rosalind Wilcox was a toddler, she has been drawn to tools of creativity, including paint and musical instruments. Despite having a form of blindness called Stargardt disease, she has been teaching the beloved crafts of the fine arts to Coahoma Community College students for 13 years.
“My earliest memories are from about two or three years old; I was always attracted to drawing and painting,” said Wilcox. “My mom made sure that I had not only crayons but watercolors, tempera paint. I would beg for big pieces of paper.”
The daughter of sharecroppers from Southeast Mississippi hopes to serve as an element of change.
“Nature was always huge to me. I could see really well up close, so everything was pulled in, and I was always drawing,” she added.
Wilcox holds a bachelor’s degree in art education from St. Ambrose University. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in conjunction with the Rush Presbyterian Medical School to receive her master’s in art therapy, a career field she worked in for 10 years. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Mississippi, emphasizing in drawing, ceramics, and sculpture. Wilcox received K-12 and gifted education certifications from Mississippi College.
Wilcox, who also won the Humanities Teacher of the Year award in 2012, believes the humanities disciplines are a healing force. She is delighted to be “resolving everything with education.”
Wilcox also grew up in Iowa, where her gift for composing art took flight with a high school teacher who taught college-level techniques and would give her extra homework.
“I was ready, and he knew it,” she said.
Wilcox has three adult children who, she says, have always understood her passion for the arts.
She says that winning the Humanities Teacher of the Year award this year means people are recognizing what she is doing. Along with the title, she also receives a cash award and tickets to the Mississippi Humanities Council Awards banquet, where she will gather with other recipients from Mississippi colleges.
Dr. Rolonda Brown, CCC dean of Academic Affairs, regards Wilcox as an amazing instructor and an art enthusiast.
“She is an excellent choice for the Humanities Teacher of the Year Award. Her classes are stimulating and exciting for her students. She is known for being a patient and attentive instructor who works very hard to bring out the best in her students. She is also a promoter and believer in the power of both the visual and performing arts,” said Brown.
Wilcox loves that CCC students, particularly those involved in music and art, don’t start out highly talented, but possess the desire to be excellent musicians and artists.
“We have to take that desire and turn it into a flame, and we have the perfect mix,” she added.
Wilcox encourages her students to control the narrative. She is always eager to have under her wing students who want to explore and experiment with art.
“I love meeting students who come to the table ready to learn,” she said. “I love it when they know that they don’t know, and they’re open to understanding not just techniques but the spiritual side of art as well.”
She enjoys photography, making jewelry, singing, songwriting, and playing guitar. Having gained experience as a missionary, an inspirational biblical verse for her is, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring unto me, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
Her professional presentation, which she will lecture on at her celebratory reception, is titled “Raising Consciousness through S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics): We are all connected.” The event will be held during the fall 2020 semester.
