Hughes & Coleman Hometown Hero: Dr. Cecile Garmon

This week’s Hometown Hero, brought to you by Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) -A Glasgow native who has spent years transforming the lives of others through education.

“I hate to leave education because I have had such a glorious experience. I have had wonderful students I don’t know how many thousands of students I have taught but they have been wonderful,” said Dr. Cecile Garmon, hero.

Dr. Garmon has spent 40 years on the hill at WKU and although that chapter is finally coming to a close, her impact on the university remains.

“I took a class from Dr. Garmon in the graduate program. I liked the class and I liked her so much I signed up for every other class that she taught at the university,” said Dr. Donna Schiess, former student, WKU Department of Communication.

Over the years Dr. Garmon has taught thousands of students and many she inspired to become professors themselves.

“Dr. Garmon is aways the kind of teacher that makes every student feel like she cares about them and she is always interested in the ideas that the student has,” added Dr. Schiess.

Dr. Garmon not only inspires her students but has also inspired Kelly Craft the current U.S ambassador to the United Nations and a close family friend.

“I have to say that who would’ve known that all these incredible skills that she taught me, that I used growing up would be so instrumental today in the security council when I am speaking with Russia and China or any of my other members of the council as far as using those listening skills and trying to find common ground. I think that is something when you grow up in a small town that everybody finds common ground with one another immediately so that you disarm the other person. Mrs. Garmon taught me well the importance of those skills,” said Kelly Craft, an American diplomat.

Kelly credits Dr. Garmon for taking her on her first international trip to Spain as well as years of advice that she still uses today.

“I give her a lot of credit because of where I am today and still when I speak with her I ask her for advice to this day. I was in town two weeks ago and had a little surprise and drove to Glasgow to see her and I just absorbed everything she had to say.. even today I relish my conversations with Mrs. Garmon,” added Ambassador Craft.

Although Dr. Garmon is leaving the hill, her work to inspire others continues. She will be traveling the state teaching adaptive leadership.

“That is what I am doing right now is getting ready to start leadership programs across the state of Kentucky where we teach adaptive leadership which teaches people at all levels not just CEO’s and department heads and so forth but people at all levels, how to deal with issues that they have never faced before and how to draw people in to help resolve these issues I think it is so exciting and it is wonderful.”

“As I am starting a whole new life, a whole new career and it is kind of scary frankly I have been inside education you know for all of these years, almost 60 years and to get out of it now and not have that organization behind me it is going to be really interesting to see how well I adapt to it.”

“My daughter said to me, mom don’t look at this like it is a black hole you are falling into, look at it like it is a window of opportunity that you would have never done if this hadn’t come about and she is right. I am looking forward to it, but it is going to be really hard the last day I pull out of the driveway at WKU, it is going to be really tough,” said Dr. Garmon, hero.

Dr. Garmon has inspired many and continues to do so and we honor her for over 40 years as an educator as this week Hughes and Coleman Hometown Hero.

“She is so humble but she is a hero. She has been a hero to every young woman that she’s had in the classroom. Everyone who has had the opportunity to just sit at a desk and listen. She taught us to really dream big and to always be a better version of ourselves because that is what she has been and she has set the example,” added Ambassador Craft.

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