It’s ironic, yet fitting, that National Teacher Appreciation Week preceded Mother’s Day this year. My mother and the various mother-figures in my life were, and still are, my greatest teachers.

Not only did my mom, Anna Beck, teach me countless life lessons while growing up, but she also educated me. She’s a long-time high school science teacher, and I had the pleasure of taking her biology course when I was a sophomore.

It was Mrs. Beck’s class — in addition to an anatomy class one year later — that sparked my interest to pursue a career in physical therapy.

But, you see how that went.

After three semesters of community college, just months before I would transfer to the University of Alabama, I was disgruntled. As it happened, what passion I had for science was quickly diminished for the dreadful amount of math courses that were apparently standing in the way of a degree.

I’ll never forget the day I went to her with a plea for help. I remember telling her that I simply couldn’t do it anymore. I needed to figure out a new direction.

“Well, what do you enjoy?” she asked. The first thing that came to mind was sports. I wanted a career that would connect me to sports. My initial plans were to practice physical therapy and become a team trainer for a college or professional sports team.

“But what else could you do that would connect you to sports?”

Well, I sure couldn’t keep playing sports. I’m a white boy that’s relatively short, can’t jump, can’t run fast, can’t shoot and, still to this day, a sub-par golfer. The childhood dream of being the next Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods was not happening.

We talked a little more and she would rattle off more questions, I realized my path would be shifted toward the world of journalism.

If not for Mom’s guidance, I probably wouldn’t be in this chair getting to share this story and so many others with you, kind readers. I probably wouldn’t be enjoying life in Covington as publisher of what I believe is the best newspaper of its size in Georgia.

But aside from her educational lessons, what I’ll always cherish are the last words she said in that pivotal conversation: “No matter what you want to do, you know I’ll always be there to support you and cheer you on.”

And she has kept those words to this day.

What a world we would live in if everyone was fortunate enough to have a mom — and teacher — like that.

Taylor Beck is editor and publisher of The News. Reach him at tbeck@covnews.com.