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Arcelia Johnson-Fannin was born in Linden. The daughter of a retired
elementary teacher, Dr. Arcelia Johnson-Fannin fought for many years
against her calling as a teacher. But when she surrendered
she realized that through teaching she was building a bright future
for her students . " I found teaching is truly where I belong,
" Fannin said . After graduating as valedictorian
of Fairview High School in Linden, Texas, Fannin went on to pursue
a career in medicine. She worked diligently to achieve her doctorate
degree in pharmacology . She, along with three other clinical
pharmacists, were asked to help build the " Doctor of Pharmacy"
program at Florida A&M and within one year she was appointed
the director .
Today , Ms Johnson-Fannin is the only female African-American to
have founded a School of Pharmacy and the only female to have started
two schools of pharmacy - the University of Incarnate World and
Hampton University . A childhood illness began her love with
medicine. " I just thought it was so neat,"
Ms Johnson-Fannin said . " The Medicine the pharmacist gave
me that night made me feel so much better. I decided that I wanted
to do what she did." Ms. Una Mae and the late E.
T. Johnson of Linden never dreamed their little girl would go on
to great things in the world of pharmacology, but they knew
she had the potential . Ms. Johnson-Fannin was always
a bright student and aggressive in her studies. She even completed
the second and third grade simultaneously. As an instructor,
Johnson-Fannin is described as tough, but fair. Her warm personality
draws people to her according to colleague Terry Dicianna.
It may be her love for puzzles that make pharmacology so fascinating
to her . " I love to see things that are bits and pieces come
together, " she said. Ms Johson-Fannin doesn't make passing
her class easy . She challenges each student to become the best
they can be . They even have a "crying tree" at the university
where students gather and lament over their grades. The new pharmacy
school opened in the fall of 2006 and she jokes that she can't promise
there won't be a "crying tree" there as well.
One of her goals for her students is that they will graduate with
the confidence to pursue their dreams.
Tonya Domokos
Citizen Journal, Atlanta,
Texas
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