Cindy Boykin Cindy Boykin has seen a lot during her years in education, and she doesn't regret a single minute of it.

"All of the experiences I've had have been positive ones," she said recently. "I've learned a lot from every situation. Each one has helped me and strengthened my knowledge to move on to the next level."

Boykin, who has served as the principal of Jackson Intermediate School for the past six years, will retire when the last school bell rings for the year this week. A native of Birmingham, she began her pursuit of educating children with a bachelor's degree in elementary and special education from the University of Alabama, putting in extra hours to earn a dual certification.

"My mother was a nurse who taught nursing," she said. "They saved for years for me to go to college and when asked if I would be a nurse, I chose a different path."

The field of special education appealed to Boykin because of her sister, Jane Milsap, who is severely mentally handicapped.

She never attended school. That's why I decided to go into special education."

Her sister's condition also helped her decide to be one of the major forces behind the founding of the Clarke County Association for Retarded Citizens (CCARC). She began the organization with the help of her parents and Estelle Jones. She presided over the facility for five years following its formation, established the activity center and remained on the board of directors for a number of years. She remains active with the organization to this day, mainly on a volunteer basis.

Boykin's first teaching job was in Bessemer. After marrying Edward "Buddy" Boykin, who is employed at Boise, she moved to the Jackson area. Her first teaching job here was in Wagarville, where she taught first grade.

Following a one-year stint at Jackson Academy, she was employed by the Clarke County Board of Education. Her first assignment was as a special education teacher at Joe M. Gillmore Elementary School in Jackson.

To further her education and abilities, Boykin dove into additional studies and earned a Master's degree in elementary education from Livingston University, now the University of West Alabama. She taught fourth grade at Gillmore Elementary for six years and in the meantime received a certification in administration from the University of Alabama.

The next phase of Boykin's career took her to Grove Hill, where she served as assistant principal of Grove Hill Elementary School for two years. After that, she took on additional duties at Wilson Hall Middle School for the next three years.

As an active member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) she attained accreditation for both of the schools while serving as principal.

Then, Boykin returned to Jackson where she worked as assistant principal to Wanda Roberts for eight years. During that time she also served on the state committee for SACS and was the Alabama delegate for the Southeastern Commission on Elementary and Middle Schools. For the past 12 years she has also served on the board of directors for the University of Alabama's Capstone College of Education Society.

In the fall of 2000, when Jackson Intermediate School was built, she was hired as the principal, thus starting the last leg of her career in education.

"My favorite part of my whole career has been working with the loving children and seeing them grow," said Boykin. "I've been in education long enough to see many of my students grow into productive adults. I've even hired some of my past students as teachers. It is so rewarding to see them want to become educators. We need more young people to choose education as their careers. You don't realize how many lives you touch."

Boykin and her husband, Buddy, have two children, a son, Andy and a daughter, Jennifer Erikson, and three grandchildren, Mary Helen, 6, Andrew, 3, and Matthew, 1-1/2.