Teacher's Pet — Catching up with Jim Ward

As an ode to National Teacher Appreciation Week, we salute Ardenwoods resident Jim Ward, a retired English professor of 30 years and a devoted lifelong learner.

Jim received his undergraduate degree at Clemson University, ‘where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness,’ near his hometown of Chester, South Carolina. It was not until a meaningful and life-altering sophomore literature course that Jim fell in love with English. Given that he was studying engineering at the time, Jim’s interests took quite a turn.

“I had a professor who got me very interested in the English Romantic writers William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, George Gordon, Lord Byron, and John Keats,” said Jim.

While fascinated with this newfound admiration for English and literature, Jim decided to change his major— but not to English. Instead, Jim chose math with a minor in English. Although he loved English and literature, Jim could not yet see himself as a teacher. However, after graduating from Clemson University and spending some time out of school, Jim decided it was time to pursue his interest in English as a profession.

In graduate school, Jim taught at the University of South Carolina. After receiving his Ph.D., he ventured to Richmond, Virginia, where he took a short break from teaching before teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University for one year. Jim then settled in Fayetteville, NC, teaching at Methodist University for 20 years before retiring.

In addition to his love for teaching, Jim also served as an academic advisor for students pursuing a degree in English. As a part of his advising, he wrote many letters of recommendation for students looking to further their education in graduate school and law school and to pursuing a career in other professions. Jim is proud of his former students, many of whom have gone on to successful careers and other academic pursuits.

After retirement, Jim has been virtually unstoppable. He and his wife Carol moved to Western North Carolina, where he continued teaching locally in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) programs at the University of North Carolina Asheville, as well as Furman University in Greenville, SC. Jim taught at Furman for 10 years and particularly enjoyed the simple act of teaching without the need for assessments, grading papers and assignments.

Jim says he is grateful to have had the opportunity to follow his passion for teaching as it has had an unmeasurable impact on his life. Recalling his experiences as an educator, Jim encourages others to appreciate all teachers.

“Teaching has changed a lot. Teachers face a lot of challenges today,” said Jim. “They are very important to our society and to the world, and unfortunately, they’re not appreciated and not rewarded as well as they should be.”

Because travel has complemented Jim’s academic interests so well, he encourages others to travel as much as possible and to learn while doing so. Jim and Carol have seen several parts of the world together. They had a goal before retirement to go abroad at least once per year.

“Travel relates to my academic and literary interests because anywhere you travel, history and literature are a large part of the places you visit,” said Jim.

Lastly, Jim encourages others to read often — and to read new, unfamiliar things.

“I still constantly try to read new things, things that I’m not familiar with, to learn new things about the world, the universe, life, what it means to be a human being. And I also read just for pleasure and to escape, as many people do,” he said.

Jim and Carol moved to Ardenwoods in May of 2023, where they now enjoy watching travel documentaries and reflecting on their lifetime of learning and seeing the world together. Ardenwoods celebrates Jim and all teachers, working to make the world a better place through education.