TUNICA COUNTY, Miss — If you attended Rosa Fort Elementary in Tunica County, you likely remember Mrs. Roach, a teacher whose compassion wasn't limited to the classroom but also felt long after the final bell rang.
Her road to completing her own education is still inspiring others.
Katie Roach grew up in poverty but didn’t let her kids dwell on it.
She was born on a plantation in Tunica County, where in those days, the only jobs were primarily chopping and picking cotton.
“So she chopped and picked cotton,” shared Ms. Flo.
To get out of her situation, Mrs. Roach pursued education, saving what she could for classes while working for 30 cents a day.
“She would save as many pennies of that as she could until she had enough money to take a class and in those days she had to pay for high school and college,” said Ms. Flo.
At age 13, Roach’s daughter was also inspired.
“One day, I came home from chopping cotton and I was so tired. I was so hot,” recounted Ms. Flo. “I was so dirty, I was so disgusted.”
Her mother used that opportunity as a teaching moment, asking if she wanted to use education for a better future.
“A light bulb came on, and I was like, 'Education can do that?'” recalled Ms. Flo.
Roach told her daughter how she attended college summer school had the money for tuition, books and room but was lacking the essentials.
“She didn’t have enough money for food,” shared Ms. Flo. “So, she decided to take with her to school at rust college to take with her a giant jar of peanut butter, and a bag of crackers. That's what she was going to live off the whole summer.”
She didn’t give up. She was the first in her family to graduate eighth grade, high school, and then at age 55, college. Ms. Flo knew she couldn’t give up either.
“She served my generation and she served generations to come because I became a teacher,” she said.
Ms. Flo carried on the torch, as the first in the family to finish graduate school. She went on to teach for over 40 years.
Seeing her mother’s sacrifice fueled her own drive to honor her legacy.
“No matter how many obstacles you are run into just never give up,” she said. “Go on because it can be done. It may not be overnight, but it can be done if you keep the faith.”