Professor Landis Hicks Remembers a Transformational Moment for a Student

This summer, we've asked some of our Piedmont faculty to answer a simple prompt: tell a story that matters to you. Our fourth highlight, Professor Landis Hicks, guides students every day to guide their own students in turn. Her passion for education and her students' futures shines through her writing. Read on for her thoughts on Piedmont's College of Education!

It was the 1st class of the semester, last fall, and I had just finished going over the syllabus in one of my education courses. As I looked around the room, I noticed one student lingering after the others had left. He approached me quietly and said, “I don’t know if I’m cut out to be a teacher, but I really want to be.”

We sat for a few minutes that morning, and I listened as he shared his doubts, his family’s lack of support, and how overwhelmed he felt balancing work and school, and personal issues at home. He reminded me of so many students I’ve taught in the past over the last 32 years—bright, passionate, and full of potential, yet lacking confidence and unsure if they belong.

Over the semester, I watched him grow. He found his voice in classroom discussions, took risks during his field experiences, and even led a group project with confidence. At the end of the term, he submitted a reflective assignment that ended with the words: “Now I believe I can be the teacher I once only imagined.”

That moment captures what Piedmont's College of Education means to me: It’s a place where students aren’t just educated—they’re transformed. And it’s not just about coursework or credentials. It’s about listening, encouraging, and walking alongside them as they figure out who they are and who they want to be.

It’s easy to remember the big events, but it’s these quiet moments—when a student finds his footing and begins to believe in himself—that remind me why I love what I do here.