Page 32 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2025 - Online Magazine

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Senior
Senior

Mary Jane Archer

A Life of

Selflessness

by Addison Hitt

any people believe that role models are homemaker. She homeschooled her children for several
people who are rich or famous or who years, however, challenges increased when her middle
Mhave done some outstanding feat in their child was diagnosed with dyslexia. Witnessing the
life. However, a role model isn’t just someone who daily struggle in his schoolwork and how dyslexia
has received recognition for something they’ve impacted his confidence, she was determined to
accomplished over the course of their life; it is someone provide beneficial resources to help him. This
who has lived a daily life of selflessness, perseverance, motivated her to pursue a career as an educational
dedication, and faithfulness to God. It’s someone who diagnostician. She became a Certified Academic
has served their community well and loved others Language Therapist in 1986, and, in 1988, she returned
without expecting anything in return. I believe that to the classroom as an elementary teacher. With three
those traits perfectly describe my role model, Mary young kids still at home and still teaching full time, she
Jane Archer. graduated with her master’s degree in education from
East Texas State University in 1992.
Mary Jane grew up in Lamesa, Texas, where she lived
with her parents, two sisters, and brother. It was a In addition to her nine years as a schoolteacher, she
Christian household where she learned of the love had a successful 21-year career as an educational
God has for her, soon accepting Him into her heart. diagnostician. The last 15 years of her career were
Her family of six kept the love of God close with spent working for SELCO, a special education co-op
them, spreading the Word wherever they went. This serving communities such as Slaton and Roosevelt
impacted Mary Jane to have a passion for teaching ISD. She used her natural giftings and her education
young children the power of the Lord. Mary Jane then to serve children with special needs and learning
moved on to graduate from college with a Bachelor disabilities. She has impacted hundreds of students
of Arts degree from Dallas Baptist College. There, she throughout her career, including my little sister, who
met her husband, Hugh Archer, and started her life, also has dyslexia. She was known for going above and
eventually settling in Grand Prairie, Texas. Mary Jane beyond with the personal interest she took in each of
enjoyed serving at Irving Bible Church, becoming the her students. She believed that each child, regardless of
church pianist, alongside her husband, who was the diagnoses, was gifted in their own way, and it was her
music minister. desire to show each child just how special they were.
Their family began to grow as she became a mother Beyond her role as an educator, she was passionate
to three children. She was a natural born educator about spreading the love of Christ to the children and
and enjoyed teaching school before she became a students she encountered. She followed in her aunt’s

32 Lubbock Senior Link