Alumni Spotlight - Emma Beck

"It's okay to not know."

If Emma Beck could go back to her freshman year at A&M Texarkana, she'd tell herself those words. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, she changed her major three times before declaring education. Even then, she doubted. "In ED 311 with Dr. Deborah Shidemantle, I told her I was overwhelmed and didn't know if I could become a teacher. She didn't let me give up. She said, 'You're going to get through it. We're going to get you through it.'"

Leading to her senior teacher residency, Emma experienced even more encouragement along with the preparation and support she needed to feel confident in her career path. "The professors teach not just from books, but from real life. Everything was geared towards what I could use in the classroom."

Further confirmation she was right where she's meant to be came during her teacher residency at Wake Village Elementary. "One little boy would come in every day and say, 'Hey, Miss Best Friend.' That was my name- 'Miss Best Friend'. He'd give me the biggest hug. And even though I was on the opposite side of the building, I still got to see all those kids and how much they grew from August to April. It made me a little teary-eyed. They'd grown up so much."

Emma's residency days began at 7:20 a.m., gradually progressing from observing to co-teaching to teaching full lessons in a fifth-grade classroom. At dismissal, she'd drive across town to cancer radiation treatments, five days a week. "I would go home and sleep. My mom would have to wake me up to eat. Then, I'd go back to sleep only to get up the next day and teach."

This daily routine began with a swollen lymph node that didn't go away, even with multiple rounds of antibiotics. "I had surgery to remove it and then we had to wait for the pathology results. I had an appointment with Dr. Paul Whitt to review them. Before arriving, I noticed on Life360 that both my parents were there. I immediately knew that something was wrong."

Outside the exam room, Emma's dad met her first. He was the one who had to tell his daughter she had cancer. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy…to have your dad have to tell his little girl that she has cancer. My dad is strong, but even he was crying. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

Emma's official cancer diagnosis was Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma, cancer of the salivary gland. Even after surgery, another nodule appeared a few months later, resulting in a second surgery. "The pathology came back and it was the same cancer. So, I had to do radiation."

Emma began treatments on January 6, 2025, five days a week. "My mom is my best friend, and she was a big support during this journey," Emma shared. "Every day my grandpa would wake up and text me and tell me he loved me and that I was stronger than I knew. He texted me every day. My best friend in College Station FaceTimed me every day."

On February 19, 2025, surrounded by family, Emma rang the bell, celebrating the end of a long, physically and emotionally grueling journey. "It almost didn't feel real. I'd gotten used to the routine. "My brother called his boss and said, 'Emma's ringing the bell today. I have to be there.' So, he surprised me by showing up. My best friend in College Station was there on FaceTime, and I got to talk to her too."

Today, Emma is anticipating her second year of teaching, reminded daily of her calling. "When a student told me, 'You keep me safe. I know I'm safe with you,' I realized maybe I was doing all right as a teacher. You just don't know what is happening outside of the eight hours you spend with students at school."

For the 2026-2027 school year, Emma faces a lot of exciting change, both professionally and personally. She's moving from teaching fifth grade to fourth grade, with new curriculum, and she's going back to school through A&M Texarkana, pursuing her Master of Education in Education Leadership with plans to become a principal. "I had a phenomenal administrator. He would pray before every staff meeting and you just don't see that. He would pray over all of us, over our students, and would take time to get to know the students and staff."

Experiencing that leadership inspires Emma to become a compassionate and gracious leader too. "As a principal, I can help kids, but I can help other people, too. I want to be a leader my staff feels comfortable coming to. I want my future staff to come to me knowing we'll figure it out together."

Emma is excited to take courses again from familiar professors that made such an impact through her Teacher Preparation Program and cancer journey. "I'll get to have Dr. Shidemantle and Dr. Aaron Marvel again. I'm so excited. Dr. Trisha Ray, who oversees the principal preparation program, has also told me to let her know if there's anything I need. She told me Marvel and Shidemantle argue over who gets credit for me beginning the master's program."

Emma and her family are also excited about the growth of A&M Texarkana, especially when it comes to sports and the NCAA Division II transition. "We're really excited about football. We're big sports people."

After all she's experienced, Emma sees her students and the people around her a little differently. "You really don't know what people need unless you talk to them. I am more empathetic toward people now after all that I went through. I want people to know, 'Even when you think you're not strong enough, God says you are.'"

The message Emma wishes she could have told herself as a freshman at A&M Texarkana remains her mantra today both for herself and her students. "My whole world is changing with teaching a new grade level, implementing new curriculum, and starting my master's degree. I want my students to know it's okay to not know what they want to do. I changed my major three times before I truly figured out what I was going to do, and here I am. It's okay to not know."