John and Patricia Gibson Education Scholarship

The family of John and Patricia Gibson established this scholarship to support Arkansas State University students who are pursuing a degree in education to become future teachers and educators. My parents had three children – Cindy, John Jr. and Jim Gibson. We wanted a meaningful and sustaining way to honor our Dad and his life-long career in public education serving as a teacher, principal and superintendent. He, along with our Mom Patricia Gibson, sacrificed a great deal in their early lives in order for my Dad to attend Arkansas State and earn both his undergrad and graduate degrees. He would later go on to earn his doctorate from Saint Louis University.
Throughout our Dad’s ongoing personal academic pursuits, our Mom was his partner in this endeavor providing countless hours of support often typing papers late into the night, working a full-time job, managing the needs of their household and three young children. Our parents believed in giving back and helping others. It was because of their belief in the value of higher education and how it would positively impact our family, we wanted to recognize their unwavering commitment to helping provide educational opportunities for all students through this scholarship.

Our Dad was a proud ASU graduate. While John Jr. and Jim were not born yet, John’s wife Pat and daughter Cindy attended his graduation. No one was prouder than our Mom or more excited to share this day with him. We even have a great picture of John in his graduation robe and Cindy in her fancy dress with little purse walking in front of Wilson Hall.
Our Dad played baseball at ASU. It was pretty fun for a little girl (Cindy) to go to the ball field and cheer for her Dad. Who knew that a few years later, Cindy would work in the Sports Information Office at ASU and see Coach Ike all the time – only this time she was helping promote other ASU baseball players!
My Dad’s early education began in a one-room school house in Ripley County, Missouri. Earning his degrees from Arkansas State were the keys that opened the door for our Dad and for our family. ASU provided the foundation for our Dad’s career in public education. Both of our parents are passionate about education and learning. They made education a priority because they understood the value it brings to one’s life. From his humble start in that small house in the woods, to becoming a Superintendent of a large school district in the St. Louis area, he understood the impact a good education has on one’s life. It is because of this appreciation for learning and their belief in education, we created this scholarship in their name so others can continue to teach children and support academic excellence now and in the future.