I am a rebellious person. I believe it is in my DNA, but it didn’t hurt that I was a preacher’s kid; we are known for our rebellion. Almost every good decision I have made in my life has been walking backwards through the open door. When thinking about where to attend college, I swore I would not go to BSC. Why? Because everyone expected me to, like the rest of my family! Both of my parents attended, as did my uncle, aunt, and great-uncle.

But I came to campus as a youth representative to the United Methodist Conference. One night I sat by the old fountain, brightly lit on the beautiful campus, and knew that I would come to BSC.

Spencer (back row, second from the left) with students and faculty during the Department of Education’s annual E-Term project in Mukono, Uganda.

Another choice I made reluctantly was to become a teacher. I come from a family of teachers – my mother, my sister, both maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles. Everyone expected me to study to become a teacher. Instead, I chose an interdisciplinary major in biology and psychology.

One of my first classes was Biology 101 with Dr. Paul Bailey. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about the information he taught! I fell in love with learning, developing a curiosity within me that I never knew existed.

Dr. Jeanette Runquist was another giant in my studies. She challenged my mind more than I had ever experienced. The academic content in her classes, Anatomy & Physiology and Embryology, was challenging, but Dr. Runquist made it all make sense.

At BSC, I learned so much academically. I took religion classes with Dr. Robert Wingard, history classes with Dr. Henry Randall, education classes with Dr. Bob Whetstone, and art classes with Dr. Bob Shelton. These professors didn’t just teach me about their academic content. They taught me that I was capable of doing hard things. Looking back, I am unsure that I had a natural inclination to understand the sciences. Still, because I connected with the faculty at BSC, they ignited a desire to learn that I had not yet experienced.

Spencer with her very BSC family. Pictured are her mother, Betty Gunn ’60, her husband, Brad Spencer ’86, and her children, Graham Spencer ’16 (and his fiancée, Ashley Bice ’15), Liza Spencer ’16, Isaias Spencer ’24, and James Spencer.

It is difficult to say whether I learned more through the academic or social side of college at BSC. Preachers move from place to place, in my case all across North Alabama. My family never lived anywhere for more than four years. As a result, I never quite found my tribe in high school. Oh, I tried and did everything I could to fit in with my peers. My father recounts when he saw me as a tall, skinny 15-year-old, walking with my friends at a football game, leaning forward, my shoulders hunched, so I would not be taller than the other girls. Always the new girl. But at BSC, I found real friends who, after almost 40 years, have proven to be life-long friends, like Maria Alexander ’86, Kathy Leos ’85, Judy Pittman ’87, and Leigh Ann Sisson ’87. Through these friends, I learned about fierce love and loyalty. I also met my husband, Brad Spencer ’86, while on the Hilltop, and three of our children, Graham ’16, Liza ’16, and Isa ’24 have attended BSC.

To say that my experience at BSC changed my life would be an understatement. Because of the faculty, staff, and peers at BSC, I became a life-long learner and recognized the importance of teachers in the lives of their students. Not long after I graduated from BSC, I finally followed my call to be an educator. The amazing thing is that when I decided to go into education, I pointed to Dr. Wingard, Dr. Randall, Dr. Runquist, and others as my guides. Because of the connections I made with my professors at BSC, I was committed to connecting with my students. It is my hope that while I taught my students the academic content they needed to learn, I also encouraged them, supported them, and loved them so they too could become confident learners.

In 2008, I returned to the Hilltop, this time to be a professor of education. I am honored to be a part of the mission of preparing young people for lives of significance. Don’t tell anyone, but I have long said that I would do this job without pay! My colleagues and students remind me every day why this is the case.

I recently read a novel called “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. The main character, Nora, gets the opportunity to look back and relive any of the choices in her life. As I look back on my choices, one of the best is choosing ’Southern – both times.

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Dr. Amelia Gunn Spencer ’85 serves as associate professor of education and the chair for the department. She holds master’s degrees in early childhood special education and counseling from the University of Alabama and her Ph.D. in special education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. On the Hilltop, Spencer teaches courses human development, special education, collaborative education, and education psychology.

This story was included in a special education edition of From the Hilltop, Birmingham-Southern’s alumni email newsletter.

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