Wanda Kirkpatrick celebrated her 90th birthday last year, and her daughter, Mechele Ussery, hosted a celebration in Ballinger, Texas. More than 100 guests attended, including 20 teachers from Plano, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, and Grapevine – districts where Wanda left her mark as an educator.
Their shared path in education began at Litchfield Park Elementary in Arizona, where Wanda taught third grade and Mechele was one of her students. After moving to Texas, Wanda helped open Weatherford Elementary in Plano as a 3rd grade gifted program teacher. She later taught at McLaughlin Elementary in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and went on to launch the Gifted Program in Grapevine ISD.
Mechele’s inspiration to teach began in high school during a semester-long assignment in an elementary classroom where students raised silkworms. She first attended East Texas Baptist University but struggled academically. Encouraged by her mother to return home, Mechele was given another opportunity—thanks to Wanda’s connection with the dean at Texas Woman’s University. The dean was organizing a bilingual teaching program in Mexico and invited Mechele to join.
During the six-week trip, Mechele lived with a non-English-speaking host family in central Mexico, immersing herself in the culture and language. She quickly picked up Spanish, with the family’s maid calling her fluency a “Gift from God.” Her mother visited during the program, and Mechele proudly showed her around.
By summer’s end, Mechele passed the entrance exam for Texas Woman’s University’s Bilingual Elementary Education program. Remarkably, she and her mother graduated on the same day in 1981—Wanda earning her master’s in education, and Mechele her bachelor’s. To celebrate, they traveled to Germany.
Mechele began her teaching career in Waxahachie, Texas, teaching second grade ESL students.
Mechele went on to teach in various Texas districts and eventually returned to McLaughlin Elementary—a decade after her mother had taught there—where she launched the district’s ESL program in 1982. Later, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mechele experienced some of her most rewarding teaching moments. Her students spent the year writing and illustrating their own stories, which she displayed in class on coat hangers. At year’s end, she compiled and printed the stories into books for each student.
One memorable highlight was when then-First Lady Hillary Clinton visited the school. Mechele had her students write letters and stories for Mrs. Clinton, which were delivered by a Secret Service agent. The students later received a personal letter in response. Mechele created another book—this time including their stories and Clinton’s letter—which each child took home.
Both Wanda and Mechele became active members of the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA). Wanda served on the Legislative Committee for both the Plano and Grapevine chapters. She recalls working alongside Tim Lee in the early days of the fight for WEP and GPO reform. Widowed in 1988, Wanda struggled without access to spousal Social Security benefits. Now, 36 years later, she’s receiving back payments under GPO reform—an additional $700 per month.
In retirement, Mechele, her husband, and Wanda all moved to Ballinger. Mechele served two years as the local TRTA chapter president. Together, they now share their days, with Mechele and her husband caring for Wanda.
Reflecting on their journey, Mechele said, “I cherish all the years we have spent together as mother and daughter Texas teachers.”
