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Brown receives Sally Wilson Distinguished Educator Award
Goodman Campus English instructor Jessica Brown received one of the faculty's highest honors on April 25 during the Goodman Campus Awards and Honors Banquet – the Sally Wilson Distinguished Educator Award chosen by the student body from the Goodman Campus.
The Sally Wilson Distinguished Educator Award recognizes an outstanding educator from the Goodman Campus for his or her excellence in Phi Theta Kappa's hallmarks of fellowship, leadership, scholarship and service. The award, named for the Kappa Alpha's first and longtime advisor, the late Mrs. Sally Wilson, is based on the following criteria: the instructor encourages students to learn and enjoy the learning process through innovative teaching techniques; the instructor provides guidance, inspiration, support and motivation to students in and out of the classroom; and the instructor exemplifies honesty, integrity, excellence, dedication and leadership.
"Mrs. Brown had an impressive nine nominations for this award," Phi Theta Kappa advisor Will Alexander said. "She is loved by her students, and they know she truly cares about them too. One thing Mrs. Brown is often praised for is how she engages her students. She pushes them, which is what you want in an instructor."
The Vicksburg native came to Holmes Community College in 2006. Over the tenure of her career at Holmes, she has taught developmental English courses, English Composition I and II, and British Literature.
In 2013, Brown was named the Humanities Teacher of the Year for Holmes. Her presentation as Humanities Teacher of the Year, "The Literary Runway," explored how fashion is used in literature and film. In 2014, Brown served as a guest speaker at the annual TYCAM conference, presenting a talk titled, "Get It Together: Developing an Integrated Reading and Writing Course." She led the endeavor, which involved formatting new course designs for the combined reading and writing courses. She was also the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Ovid Vickers Award for Excellence in Teaching, awarded to an English instructor who has demonstrated excellence in the classroom.
Brown earned a master's degree in English at Mississippi State University and a bachelor's in English and history at The University of Mississippi. Prior to joining the Holmes family, she taught English at Central Holmes Christian School, which is where she credits finding her calling as a teacher.
She and her husband Jeffrey Brown, assistant band director for Holmes, share a deep love for the institution and the students they work with.
