Magnolia High School Spanish instructor, Mercedes Pittman, was selected as the campus 2021 Teacher of the Year. As a young woman born in Chillán, Chile, Mercedes Pittman learned to value education and to this day considers it a privilege. In 1991, with limited English language skills, family friends offered to sponsor her, and Mercedes came to the United States on an adventure that would last a lifetime.
Early on, Mercedes sat in classes at Southern Arkansas University just to become a better English speaker. She also worked as a Certified Nurse Assistant at Magnolia Hospital while volunteering in the Magnolia Hispanic community to translate for medical and legal appointments. Through determination and hard work, she later entered Southern Arkansas University on an academic scholarship, eventually graduating with a Spanish major and Social Work minor. She later went through the naturalization process and became a citizen of the United States.
Mercedes taught in El Dorado and Camden before coming to Magnolia High School in 2006. She continues to tutor university and high school students in Spanish and helps Hispanic parents who cannot speak English in school-related meetings. At Magnolia High School, Mercedes teaches with passion and loves students as her own, even those who are not in her classes. She tries to motivate students to take advantage of every opportunity to learn things and better themselves. Mercedes frequently says, “Kick-it baby,” and the phrase has become a school-wide euphemism for “do your best!” She shares the culture of Chile and the Spanish-speaking countries of the world in a way she hopes fosters understanding and tolerance of diversity. Mercedes serves as the MHS Foreign Language Department Chair and is an active fan of school sports.
She is the Panther Band “mom” to hundreds of musicians and can be seen at every football game, both home and away, holding instruments or pinning up girls’ hair. She also sponsors a student-led Christian group, Chosen Generation Youth Fellowship. Mercedes meets with the group twice a week after school to prepare music and messages for their meetings on Wednesdays at 7:15 a.m.
Mercedes is married to Jay Pittman, and together they have two grown children. Both children are graduates of Magnolia High School. Their son Jay has a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics, and their daughter Pristine is currently in medical school. Mercedes is a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Magnolia and serves as a choir member. She is also a member of the Arkansas Foreign Language Teacher’s Association. In her spare time, Mercedes enjoys cooking, singing, entertaining, and ping-pong.