LED BY PURPOSE WITH PURPOSE
Dr. Maxine Montgomery
As an esteemed English professor at Florida State University and co-chair of President Richard McCullough Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Maxine Montgomery has seized and dominated the opportunity to teach literature by underrepresented writers, ultimately inspiring the next generation of scholars. Teaching works by Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, Edwidge Danticat, and others, and publishing about the authors whose fiction conveys the challenges and rich possibilities of being Black and female, Dr. Maxine Montgomery has quickly established herself as one of the most esteemed professors in this subject matter. Throughout her leadership journey in the classroom, several doors have opened in Dr. Montgomery’s life, allowing her to travel internationally, publish books and articles, and, of course, teach works she loves. Surprisingly, Dr. Montgomery had once contemplated a career as a clinical psychologist, a role that would allow her to offer clinical or counseling services in assessing mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders. However, after enrolling in
upper-division literature courses and performing as well or better than her seniorlevel cohort, she realized her passion and purpose rested in English, which has led to a decades-long career in imparting the knowledge students gain from her classes to have a transformative effect for years to come. “There is something energizing about my work with undergraduate and graduate scholars at Florida State,” Dr. Montgomery unveils, “especially when students acknowledge the insights they acquire in courses introducing scholars to works typically excluded from an established literary canon. Each class carries a different dynamic and I learn from the insights my students bring with them to our courses.” Knowing that she is living her purpose and doing what she loves, Dr. Montgomery feels confident that her gift holds the potential to motivate, inspire, and enlighten undergraduate and graduate scholars, which prompts her to keep leading, guiding, and teaching
tallahassee woman | 29 | february • march 2022
