Kim Culpepper is a husband, father, grandfather, full time minister – and most recently, a ninth grade teacher at Meridian High School. 

    Several years before he retired from East Mississippi Electric Power Association (EMEPA), some educators in his church, The Evangel Temple, urged Culpepper to think about going into the teaching field.  At the time he thought about taking night classes, but didn’t think he could, due to his responsibilities at the power company.

    Then around the end of February 2007, EMEPA offered several employees an early retirement package and Culpepper, who had invested thirty-three years in the company, jumped on it. In April he retired, and at 51 years-of-age, without any previous college credit, started taking summer classes at Meridian Community College.

    He transferred to Mississippi State University Meridian in January of 2009 intent on teaching History, a subject he had always been passionate about.

     “I really enjoyed my experience at MSU Meridian,” he reflected.  “All the staff was great and the professors – topnotch; but there were a few like Dr. Toby Bates, assistant professor of history, that really stood out.  Not only was he (Bates) a great professor and instructor, but he seemed to appreciate the knowledge of history I possessed and brought into his classroom.”

    Culpepper did his student teaching at Southeast High School and finished his degree in secondary education curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in social studies from MSU Meridian in July 2010.  He started teaching geography and Mississippi studies at Meridian High school the next week.

    Teaching ninth graders was an adjustment for Culpepper. “I guess I didn’t realize what a transition year ninth grade can be,” he commented.  “I never thought I would teach anything below the 10th or 11th grade, but when the opportunity came along, I said I would give it a shot.  And quite honestly, I have really, really enjoyed teaching them.”

    Another adjustment Culpepper had to make was getting the students interested in geography.

    “You have to understand that some of my students have never even been to Jackson, so I have to try and get them to see that there is a world out there; that if they will work hard, get good grades and earn their degree, they might someday get a job that will send them all around the globe.  Due to advancements in technology and the media, the world has become a smaller place – and these kids have to think differently than we did.”

    “What I enjoy most about teaching these students,” said Culpepper, “is making it real to them.  They aren’t going to be interested in learning about the world unless you can tie it into something they’ve either read or heard about. Every time we study a country we also look at current events; we studied Chili while the spotlight was on the Chilean miners, and when we studied Mexico, we talked about border issues and what was going on in Arizona.”

    But teaching, Culpepper has realized, is also about developing relationships and being a ‘mentor’ to the students who come in and out of his classroom.  And since he is also minister of music and associate pastor at Evangel Temple on Hwy 145 South, he is readily aware of the issues facing kids today. 

    “I’m realistic enough to know that I can’t reel in every kid who is dealing with a bad situation,” he said, “but I can teach them about respect for themselves and others and that I care about them.  Teaching has truly been better than I ever imagined it would be. I’m having the time of my life!”