Kimberly Walters
Kimberly Walters
B.A. Mathematics / minor in German, 1988
“I was a bulldog from an early age. My dad graduated from Mississippi State University and my mom graduated from Mississippi University for Women, so I guess I had always known this was where I wanted to go to school,” said Walters, a 1988 MSU graduate. “The College of Arts and Sciences is a little longer story. I started off as a computer science major. I decided that I did not like programming, but I liked math and I liked German. I thought I wanted to teach, but a degree in mathematics provided me with additional opportunities if I chose not to teach. I am glad of the path I chose. It allowed me to go straight to a graduate degree program after graduation.”
Two favorite memories from her time at MSU stand out: The first? Sliding down the hill behind McKee Hall on cafeteria trays during a rare snowstorm in Starkville. Her second and favorite of the two is meeting her husband, Andrew. They have been married for 37 years.
After graduation, Walters moved to Huntsville, but a shortage of math teacher jobs in the area led her to consider pursuing a master’s degree from the University of Alabama, Huntsville. After earning a master’s degree, she taught high school math and German for four years in Huntsville before moving back to Starkville.
After one year of teaching high school math in Starkville, Dr. Jerry Reed, who had been her advisor as an undergraduate student, asked if Walters would consider teaching freshman level math courses at MSU. “I said yes and I have never looked back. Best decision I have made. I will forever be grateful for his phone call,” said Walters, who now has entered her third decade teaching math in MSU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics and is an Instructor II.
“A couple of years ago, I was honored to receive the Robert Wolverton Legacy Award from the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Bob Wolverton had such a profound impact on my career as a teacher, that that award means more to me than I can truly describe. But honestly, I think what I am most proud of is when former students come back and say ‘thank you’ or when graduate students or junior faculty tell me that I have helped them in some way. Those are moments I always cherish,” said Walters. “My CAS education, while I did not know it at the time, prepared me not only content-wise, but as I returned to teach, I felt like I was coming home.”
Walters and her husband have two children who both earned undergraduate degrees from MSU. She served as a Girl Scout leader for 14 years and currently is a member of the Wesley Foundation board of directors and is an active member of First United Methodist Church. She currently serves as a member of the MSU faculty senate as well as other university committees. Walters is the vice-president for a national mathematics organization.
When asked what advice she would give to today’s MSU students, she said, “Study, take care of your classroom education first, but remember to enjoy your college years. If you have a chance to join an organization that interests you, do so. If you can take a class ‘just for fun,’ do so. If you can study abroad, do so. Don’t be afraid to learn something new, and remember, you never really stop learning.”