42°49’11.7″N 75°32’11.1″W: Colgate University
Photo courtesy of MDCC/Mississippi Delta Community College
As a Colgate student, Derek Hinckley ’09 had a plan: He was majoring in political science to prepare for a law career and envisioned himself excelling in a high-powered position. Hinckley minored in creative writing and found a mentor in Professor Jennifer Brice, but writing didn’t fit into his vision of the future.
Before applying to law school, Hinckley had one more interest to explore: Teach for America. He wanted to add another item to his resume and, deep down, he “had a desire to do something outside of the expected trajectory of my life.”
33°30’01.3″N 90°10’06.4″W: Amanda Elzy High School, Greenwood, Miss.
In 2009, Teach for America sent Hinckley to the Greater Delta region. “I’d never lived in the South before, so there was a steep learning curve, understanding and navigating the local culture,” he recalls. In addition to the culture shock, Hinckley was challenged by his new position. It wasn’t just his first year teaching English to high school students — it was his first year teaching, period. But by year two, he’d found a rhythm and a community — including his soon-to-be wife, Elizabeth, a math teacher.
When his Teach for America assignment concluded, Hinckley knew he wanted to continue teaching — and was interested in higher education. Remembering that Brice had attended the University of Alaska, he spoke to her and decided to apply to its MFA program for creative writing.
64°51’22.8″N 147°49’16.2″W: University of Alaska, Fairbanks
At the University of Alaska, Hinckley honed his crafts. In addition to having his first piece published in Creative Nonfiction, he developed his teaching pedagogy. “I reconsidered many of my beliefs about teaching and writing,” he says.
While in Alaska, Hinckley also learned more about the environment; he and his wife even lived in a dry cabin (no running water).
After earning his MFA, he worked as a remote adjunct professor, both at University of Alaska and Mississippi Delta Community College, while being a stay-at-home dad with their new daughter. When his wife received a job offer back in Greenwood, memories of the community they created in the deep South spurred.
33°30’50.7″N 90°11’55.9″W: City of Greenwood Recycling Center, Mississippi
While waiting for a full-time higher education opportunity, Hinckley decided to try something new. He used the conservation knowledge he learned in Alaska to direct Greenwood’s recycling program for a year. It allowed him to both help his community and create meaningful connections with residents.
33°26’39.2″N 90°30’14.0″W: Mississippi Delta Community College, Greenwood
Although his Teach for America service was intended as a bridge to law school, it instead brought him back to the start.
Nine years later, Hinckley is now an English instructor, teaching composition classes that incorporate his love of literature and creative writing. He says the most rewarding part of his work is exposing students to new ideas. “In an academic setting and in [other areas] of our lives, we’re asked to give the appropriate response, but we’re not asked to think about why that is the appropriate response. I ask [my students] those questions.”
Because many in the Mississippi Delta come from an impoverished background, Hinckley also has to consider more personal questions regarding his students. “It’s important to be aware of where your students are coming from to meet their needs effectively.”
The challenges of teaching high-risk students in an area that is desperate for good teachers could drive others away, but for Hinckley, it’s the glue that holds him there. “We could just walk away,” he says, “but we would leave a lot behind.”