Mount Olive Tribune: UMO Alumna named 2023 Texas Mother of the Year®

Mother’s Day is a time of celebration, love, and recognition. This Mother’s Day will be extra special for one University of Mount Olive Alumna. Aisha Atkinson, from the class of 2013, has been named the 2023 Texas Mother of the Year®. Atkinson is the 71st woman in Texas history to receive this prestigious honor.

Atkinson, 34, is a distinguished teacher of English language arts and an elementary instructional coach in the Greater Houston area. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in secondary English education from the University of Mount Olive in 2013, where she was the valedictorian of her graduating class. In 2020, she earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas A&M International University.

Atkinson is a member of the Texas Council for Teachers of English Language Arts’ 2022-2024 Rising Leader cohort, committee chair for the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee of Fort Bend Independent School District, and a contributing writer for Education Week, the George Lucas Educational Foundation’s Edutopia, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Teacher2Teacher and Principal Project. She is a passionate advocate for the inclusivity and representation of multilingual and neurodivergent learners.

Atkinson, along with honorees from other states across the United States, were recognized during the 88th National Convention of American Mothers, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska in April. At the conference, Atkinson also received the Barbara Thompson Gift, in which a $2,500 was awarded to the Texan nonprofit of Atkinson’s choice.

“This is an incredible achievement for Aisha,” said Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations. “Her dedication to teaching and advocating for students of all backgrounds and abilities is an inspiration to us all.”