Polka, pizza and preparation for life

Point experience a time of “firsts” for distinguished educator

 
Barbara Hickman, photo courtesy of the Stevens Point Journal

For a black teenager in the late 1950s living in segregated Beloit, college was an ambitious dream. Barbara Hickman did not see herself as a pioneer or activist. She just wanted to become a third-grade teacher. Even though schools in Milwaukee and Madison were closer, Hickman knew she would not be happy in a big place.

Choosing the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point was the right decision for Barbara, but not always an easy one.  While her parents worked two jobs to help with expenses, Hickman simply “stayed focused and survived.” All classes were in Old Main, and Barbara thrived on the academics. She was particularly fond of Mrs. Williams, her student-teaching supervisor.

The three-hour bus ride to Beloit meant Barbara spent many weekends on campus, which she describes as a ghost town when students typically left. Her first roommate was from Hawaii; after a winter in Wisconsin, the girl returned to the islands. Barbara admits there were some lonely times. “I had to adjust," she said, "but everyone treated me nicely. ”

As Barbara adapted to life as a Pointer, she was invited to the homes of classmates and joined a sorority her junior year. At the time, students were permitted to live in the dorms for three years. As seniors, Barbara and three friends moved into an apartment only to discover they had no pots or pans and no money. They chipped in to buy themselves a skillet. Naturally, they soon had to face a difficult senior dilemma: who gets the skillet at graduation? The friends decided the first person to get married got the skillet and it would be passed on to each new bride. Thanks to that well-used skillet, the friends stayed in touch through marriages, children and grandchildren.

After receiving her undergraduate degree from the School of Professional Studies, Barbara fulfilled her dream of becoming a third-grade teacher. In fact, her first teaching job was in the same Beloit elementary school she attended. She went on to teach in three other schools before becoming Title I director for the School District of Beloit. She earned her master’s degree at UW-Whitewater and became a school principal, including 20 years at Burdge Elementary School.

Barbara retired, the first time, in 2002. Two years later, she returned to the Kolak Education Center, where she coordinated orientation and in-service programs for new staff. Her most recent assignment was Beloit Memorial High School, working with minority students to encourage and motivate them to discover their own talents and follow their dreams.

After 50 years as an educator, administrator and mentor, Barbara retired again in 2012. She remains active in her community, devoted to her family and committed to issues of equality and accessibility. During the years, she has encouraged students of color to attend UW-Stevens Point citing “lots of opportunity” and excellent career preparation.

In February 2014, Barbara returned to UW-Stevens Point as the featured speaker at the 21st Annual Black Students Soul Food Dinner. While she was understandably pleased by the number of black students, she was most surprised by the number of traffic lights in the city. “It used to seem like the whole population of the town was on campus,” she said.

Looking back 54 years on her first uncertain student days, Barbara still remembers that determined young girl walking to Old Main dressed in her classic skirt and sweater, clutching her notebook.  “I never shielded myself from a challenge,” she said. “My mind was made up.” The thousands of students, parents and teachers whose lives Barbara Hickman has touched are grateful for her courage, inspiration and grace.