TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Nancy Tullos What motivated you to become an educator, and what kept you passionate throughout your career?
I was the first group to have Mrs. Tullos in 1969. She was so young then, so we were like friends. Still are. It was a great year. We met for lunch downtown at Bryce’s and her first words were, “I don’t know what I’m doing. I hope y’all do.” Of course, she used her high-pitched voice that no one could forget. We had a great year. I have a THS friends’ group that could fill the page with memories.”
Well, you know, back then that’s what girls did… nursing or teaching, and I certainly did not want to be a nurse. I didn’t really know I had much choice besides that. But once I got into it, I loved it. I just loved the girls… the cheerleaders. Whether it was PE or science or whatever, I loved all the students. I am just a kid person. I always have been. What advice would you give new educators? Enjoy it! Don’t worry about the paperwork and other stuff. Every job has parts that are harder, but do not let that keep you from enjoying time with the kids. Get involved with the kids. I always went to whatever they were doing. I went to their plays or whatever else they were doing at the school because I wanted to be involved. I don’t think it should be a requirement of teaching because then you would not enjoy it, but you should do it. So, now I can’t tell you how often I still hear from cheerleaders I had. I went to lots of their weddings and baby showers. Being involved means a lot to them.
—Judy (Choate) Jones Green, Texas High Cheerleader 1969
Mrs. Tullos taught me that there is nothing you cannot achieve if you set your mind to it and have the right resources and people in place. She could make things happen! Try to stop her, and you would hear, ‘Oh Hugar!’ Somehow, we always had chartered buses everywhere we went, and she knew all the best Mexican restaurants during our travels. Mrs. Tullos consistently brought out the best in her girls, whether we liked it or not, requiring us to put our best foot, face, and hair forward at all times. We did not merely show up at cheer camp in school colors; she had us in daily themed outfits complete with props and chants to move across campus. There was no lack of spirit when she was around, and we always brought home the spirit stick! Under her direction, our squad did community service for events like the Von Erich wrestling match, Dillard’s back-to-school modeling, visiting nursing homes, organizing car washes, decorating locker rooms for spirit days, and honoring staff and teachers with goodies. We even cheered for the Texarkana Water treatment plant when they had an event. She was so much more than just a cheerleading coach. She attended her former girls’ baby showers, weddings, and special events with a hug and a kiss on the cheek! All Mrs. Tullos taught me actually had little to do with cheerleading, and she will always be a much-beloved mentor.”
Was there someone who was an inspiration or mentor in your development as an educator?
I had two aunts, one I had for a teacher in the third grade and one of them I had in the sixth grade. They were my mother’s sisters, Minnie Lee Martin and Willie Sullivan. They have both passed away now but they were great educators. What are you the proudest of from your time at TISD? Being inducted into the TISD Hall of Fame in 2014 was pretty cool. It’s a special thing when someone believes in you even more than you believe in yourself. That’s what Mrs. Tullos did for each of us. We learned to expect more from ourselves than we even thought possible because her expectations were high and her love for each of us and her commitment to our success were even higher. She insisted we volunteer at community events and cheer for every Texas High team. We went to freezing cold soccer games and even Tiger Shark swim meets. I remember asking, ‘How are we supposed to cheer for swimmers who have their heads under water half the time?’ She said, ‘You scream, ‘GO!’ every time they poke their little heads up!’ She just wanted us to show up for others and be encouraging everywhere we went. She was definitely one of the most influential people in my life.”
—Robyn (Whitmore) Wright, Texas High Cheerleader 1988-1992
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Mrs. Tullos is the way she would yell my name. She had a gift for getting our attention! Fast forward 20+ years (as I’m raising my own children) and I have a newfound appreciation for the way she could wrangle a bunch of teenage girls. The rumor is that the Texas High fight song was first created in the early 1900s, but Mrs. Tullos made it relevant nearly 100 years later. She instilled respect and honor for tradition, modeled what it meant to be in the community, and taught us how to strive for excellence. I will forever be grateful for the time I spent with Mrs. Tullos.”
—Crystal (Arterburn) Whitten, Texas High Cheerleader 2001-2003
—Kara (Smith) Humphrey, Texas High Cheerleader 1992-1996
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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