Mark Jewell NEA Executive Committee | Official Website
Teresa M. Hodge, the 2025 NEA Higher Educator of the Year, addressed the 104th Representative Assembly with a speech reflecting on her heritage and career. She introduced herself as "the daughter of Afro-Caribbean West Indian parents from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands," highlighting her mother's journey from a floor nurse to a public health administrator and her father's academic achievements.
Hodge shared a saying from her father: “Nothing is so complicated that it cannot be simplified by hard work,” emphasizing the value she places on diligence. She quoted an unnamed political figure, stating, “hard work is good work!”
In recounting her personal history, Hodge described herself as an Afro-Caribbean West Indian woman who graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School at 16 and attended Hampton University on a music scholarship. There, she majored in physics and participated in the HU Marching Pirates band.
She further detailed her academic path, which included earning degrees in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics from Hampton University and interning at NASA Langley Research Center. Her work there was inspired by pioneering Black women like Dorothy Vaughan and Katherine Goble Johnson.
Hodge transitioned into education after being called out of programming and research. She has served as an Associate Professor of Mathematics for 25 years and will continue this role into her 26th year.
Acknowledging those who paved the way for her success, Hodge stated: “Who stands on the shoulders and graves of so many who came before me.” She committed to advocating for educators' rights, particularly in higher education.
Hodge urged resilience against current adversities: "May we all learn to build the same kind of resilience our ancestors did." She encouraged adopting rescue pets to provide them with loving homes.
Concluding with lyrics from Sam Cooke's song "A Change Is Gonna Come," Hodge expressed hope for future change: "It's been a long time coming but I know a change gon’ come."
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