Birthdays are an experience that always requires reflection. An experience where one is tethered to that liminal space between past and future, at the intersection of the present. A time when space is shared with family and friends, and words are gifted and exchanged for tears and laughter. For Erselyn Simmons, whose life has been dedicated to mentoring and community service, turning 95 welcomed not only guests from near and far but also those remembered and forgotten.

Born February 10, 1931, in Statesboro to the late Eppie Riggs Anderson and Steven Anderson, her ancestry and upbringing always mirrored educational excellence. From being a direct descendant of Isaac Riggs, her grandfather, and Georgiana Riggs, her aunt, the Willow Hill School is the foundation of her scholastic endeavors. Isaac Riggs was a part of the vision and founding of the Willow Hill School in Portal, GA, whose oldest daughter, Georgiana, was the school’s first teacher. 

After graduating from William James High School in 1949, Erselyn went on to attend and graduate from Alabama State University, an HBCU in Montgomery, Alabama. Upon her return to Statesboro, she married the late Bobby Simmons in 1955. She began her career during segregation as a librarian at the then Blitch Street Park, which was later renamed the Loves-Jones Cultural Center. 

Sankofa is a work that finds its roots in the West African dialogue of the Akan language of Ghana. It means “to retrieve, “and as any educator does, Erselyn Simmons set out to do. She first started her teaching tenure as a home economics teacher at William James High School, and from there went to Georgia Southern University and received her master’s in school counseling. After integration, she went to Statesboro High School, where she retired from the counseling office. 

As Mrs. Simmons enjoys her 95th birthday from the comforts of her favorite chair, she cries. As she cries, students, family, and friends stop by and help her remember. Remembers the impact that she had on their life and how she was a vital component to them getting to that next level. “Happy Birthday, Mrs. Simmons. I always tell my wife how you helped us high school students complete our financial aid paperwork,” wrote Carnel Ward in a Facebook comment. “We really appreciated you, and I hope you had a wonderful day.”

Happy Birthday, Grandma, and the educational legacy that you started continues.

Brantley Simmons is a middle school teacher and a freelance contributor to the Statesboro Herald.