By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
At the Hitchins Christmas Parade last weekend the two Grand Marshalls were retired teachers. They weren’t the first teachers to be honored this way by the people of Hitchins either, and I was struck by how much this small community valued the folks who taught them and their children.
I was struck by it, but I wasn’t surprised by it. We’ve always understood the value of education here in the hills. Despite the stereotypes of those outside the area, we’ve contributed our fair share of luminaries to the fields of science and engineering, as well as to the realms of music, art, and literature.
We’ve been able to do this because of education, and our communities’ support of it.
While institutions like the Morehead State Normal School – which would become Morehead State University in time – were reportedly started in part to serve as a “civilizing influence” on the “wild” people of our region, the establishment of the university has instead offered us opportunities to preserve and elevate the cultures and traditions of our region. The institution, and others like KCU, have done this while providing educations that not only enable our local youth to compete on both national and international stages, but also enriching our communities by bringing in folks from outside the region to contribute to and experience our traditions alongside their world class education.
Hopefully those who come here to study and then leave, and those who are raised here before making their mark in the broader world, can – over time – change these perceptions about Appalachia and Eastern Kentucky.
Regardless, we’ll keep educating them. Because we understand its importance and value.
Our first universities may have been started in part as a veiled insult to our people and their way of life, but we didn’t, and we won’t, throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater. Instead, we’ve made them our own. Because education is key to success, and that starts with our public school teachers.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com.
