11/13/2024
We are blessed to have Ms. Cottingham as one of our amazing AM teachers at Adult Ed.
A lifetime of dedication to education! 🍎 Meet an inspiration in our school district, Mrs. Beverly Cottingham – an 80-year-old veteran teacher who has devoted over half of her life to education! 🌟👩🏻🏫 After a remarkable nearly 60 year journey, she STILL shares her love of Science and Social Studies with Adult Education students across Anderson County.
Mrs. Cottingham graduated from Coker College in Hartsville, SC in 1965 with a major in Biology and minor in History with a dream of medical school. After marriage and children, she decided her family was most important but was not going to neglect her love for the study and practice of all categories of science. Her journey took her through multiple states and institutions, including Clemson University to Texas A&M. She’s received awards – including the 1998 Science Teacher of the Year for the State of South Carolina; has taught thousands of students, and still finds joy in helping others rediscover their potential.
Mrs. Cottingham’s journey in Anderson Five began around 16 years ago when she moved to Anderson from Myrtle Beach to teach Science at McCants Middle School. After several years in the classroom there, she retired – which lasted all of two months! 😆❤️ Soon she was hired at the Anderson Adult Education Centers (1&2 and 3,4,&5) where she continues to empower students and foster her own lifelong interest in botany, geology, and marine science. 👩🏻🔬 She describes her current role as one of the most rewarding endeavors of her career – not only has she met incredible people, but it’s kept her mind sharp and has forced her to retrain and recite the wealth of knowledge she’s accumulated over the years. Truly, age is just a number when it comes to learning (and teaching)! 🎓
Mrs. Cottingham’s commitment to teaching goes far beyond the classroom. She’s inspired and touched countless lives; namely her own daughter – Mrs. Marie Samstag; who we are fortunate decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and has taught in the district for nearly 20 years now.
So, how much longer will Beverly Cottingham teach? One day at a time, with no plans to stop any time soon! The natural world, its organization, and diversity have entertained her for decades now – she tells us that, for her, “retiring would feel like ‘waiting for life on earth to end.’ No way!”
It is our honor to share Mrs. Cottingham with you and shine a light on her incredible life as a career educator. Here’s to the power of lifelong learning and the love of teaching! Teach on, Mrs. Cottingham! 🫶🏼🥳
Anderson Adult Education Center Districts 3, 4 & 5
