In late October 2014, as Jason Carter ran for governor, President Jimmy Carter made a quickly organized stop at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, where I was an English professor and faculty adviser to the College Democrats. The visit happened for many reasons: the former president support of education in underserved areas of our state, his family’s history with our college and the needs of his grandson’s campaign. However, it also happened because of the efforts of an enterprising student who showed remarkable initiative. President Carter’s death has left many Georgians reflecting on his long career of service to our state and nation. For me, the story of the president’s visit to our campus reminds me of how important it is to nurture the spirit of service exhibited by the student responsible for making that day happen. Here’s how it happened:
Midway through a typical Thursday, I was stopped outside a classroom building by Andrew E. Smith, the student president of the College Democrats group.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
“Dr. Brown, I think I got Jimmy!” he said.
Andy, as we called him, was a senior and one of those students who you learn quickly to simply guide and get out of his way. He had known he was interested in a career in state Democratic politics since he was a child. He had spent the previous summer working with Jason Carter’s campaign. Andy had earned a reputation for being reliable. In April of that year, Andy organized a forum for Jason Carter to meet with students and local farmers. So, when Andy said that he “got Jimmy,” we all took it seriously. We began communicating with the college leadership about the visit.
Four days later, Jimmy Carter walked into Tift Hall and greeted each of us. It had all the formalities of a presidential visit: there were logistics, Secret Service and even a receiving line. And there was that unmistakable, charismatic smile I had seen for years on television and in newspapers. He thanked us for having him, and we all chatted until it was time to walk to the nearby building for the event.
We arrived to a packed auditorium. It was clear that people were excited just to be with him. As I introduced the former president, I noticed that the crowd was absolutely beaming. They loved him, and he loved them back. For the next hour or so, he shared his experiences. He told the crowd the story of his beginnings in politics, of fighting the men on the school board who held up one finger to signify their opposition to school desegregation: “Not even one,” he said as he recounted their ugly battle cry. He shared his concerns about the runaway costs of a modern political campaign — even truer now, a decade later. And he told the crowd about his love for our college, where his father had taken peanut short courses to help their Plains farm prosper.
Later, I learned that Andy had spent the moments after the speech doing an interview for the local news, helping the campaign any way he could.
Ten years later, I think about how selfless Jimmy Carter was in sharing his time with our students. He wanted to spend time with them and to show them that they mattered to him. Years later, former colleagues sent me a picture of Carter wearing an ABAC hat while doing work for his charity, Habitat for Humanity. He made our students feel as if they were a part of his story, and, through his visit, he had made it so that he was part of theirs.
However, I also think about Andy and his gumption. Andy brought his ambition to campus, and, once there, we made sure he had the skills to pursue his passion. Isn’t that how education is supposed to work? Andy’s efforts were a budding attempt at the kind of service that defined President Carter’s career. When I look back on the event, I am proud to see that younger generations of students were inspired by President Carter’s example. Andy, who worked as a park ranger after graduation and now works for his alma mater, eventually completed his master’s degree in public administration. He plans to teach after he earns a doctoral degree.
Carter’s legacy was lifelong engagement and service. The care he showed his fellow man, from negotiating international peace treaties to building houses for his neighbors, provides a model for all. Andy’s initiative provides a model for how educators can embolden more students who show initiative. As we remember President Carter, let us commit to greater mentorship and connection with the young people in our classrooms and lives. In doing so, we can ensure that Jimmy Carter’s legacy lives on in successive generations of Georgians.
Joseph F. Brown is the Director of the Colorado State University Academic Integrity Program and a former Associate Professor of English at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA. He is a proud graduate of Jonesboro High School and the University of Georgia.
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