COPPERAS COVE, TX (May 21, 2023)—U. S. Navy reservist Alexandria Nixon is the training leading petty officer for my unit comprised of 200 officers and enlisted personnel. The E-6 imagery intelligence specialist is using the discipline, personnel management, analytical, and social interaction skills learned in the military to her third grade reading/language arts classroom at Clements/Parsons Elementary in Copperas Cove.
“Mrs. Nixon is a first-year teacher who is dedicated to her students and campus and has taken the challenge of teaching head-on,” Principal Jennifer Maples said. “She is receptive to any and all feedback and is continuously looking for ways to grow.”
After a year of proving herself in the classroom, Nixon was named the Clements/Parsons Elementary Rookie Teacher of the Year.
“Mrs. Nixon is a calm, patient, and kind-hearted individual. Her prior military experience has taught her how to cope with stressful situations and to always keep the goal in mind,” Maples said. “Even though Mrs. Nixon is new to the profession, she brings valuable input to her team and campus.”
Teamwork is another skill that Nixon has become proficient in as she serves with her reserve unit one weekend a month and two weeks of annual training every summer. That teamwork mindset has reached beyond the walls of Nixon’s classroom.
“Mrs. Nixon’s students truly look up to her,” Maples said. “In addition to great relationships with her students, Mrs. Nixon has also built strong relationships with parents and her peers.”
Campus Instructional Coordinator Fabiola Florexil agrees that Nixon is popular with her students, families, and colleagues.
“Mrs. Alexandria Nixon is one of those teachers you come across once in a great while, and you know she is a natural teacher and leader,” Florexil said. “Mrs. Nixon gets to know every student in her class as a whole person. She can see what each child brings to the community, and her whole teaching approach incorporates her leadership skills and students' personalities to work as a cohesive unit.”
Nixon, who enlisted in the Navy in 2016, has found her passion in the field of elementary education but actually used her Montgomery GI -Select Reserve Bill to assist in obtaining her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice prior to earning her teaching certification.
“I joined because I had some family members in the Army who told me serving in the military is very rewarding,” Nixon said. “I decided to do the Navy because I was approached by a Navy recruiter and still serve out of Fort Worth.”
Florexil said Nixon continues to develop her skills as an educator just as she does in the military.
“She empowers herself by seeking out information and learning from others,” Florexil said. “Her attitude and work ethic make her an asset to the school and a role model for adults and children.”
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