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Celebrating a Legacy: Honoring 21 Years of Faithful Teaching and Leadership
After more than two decades of faithful service in the classroom—and many more years as a devoted member of our community—we celebrate the retirement of a beloved Ben Lippen educator whose impact will be felt for generations, Mrs. Kim Cox.
Serving as an English Instructor, Humanities Lead Teacher, and Yearbook Advisor, she has been a cornerstone of the Ben Lippen School experience for 21 years as a teacher, following 12 years as a parent. Her deep roots in our community have given her a unique perspective—one that has shaped not only her students, but the culture of our school.
Her academic journey reflects a lifelong commitment to learning and excellence. She earned a B.S. in English Education from Bob Jones University, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Columbia International University, and completed additional graduate coursework in Library Science at the University of South Carolina.
For Mrs. Cox, teaching was never just a profession—it was a calling that beautifully blended passion and purpose. She shares,
“The role of English teacher gave me an outlet to pursue and share all that God had been storing in me about language and creativity. It allowed me to participate in the daily lives of many, many kids who taught me things like how to accept others in your friend group, how to be gentle, what the latest slang was, and most of all that we are all works in progress.”
She often reflected on Robert Frost’s words from Two Tramps in Mud Time, which perfectly capture her approach to teaching:
“My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation…
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For Heaven and the future’s sakes.”
This union of passion and profession has defined her legacy—teaching not just for today, but for eternity.
“[There is] one God and Father of all, who is over all, and in all, and through all.” — Ephesians 4:6
This truth shaped her teaching, her relationships, and her perspective on every student who walked through her classroom. When asked about her most memorable moments, she simply couldn’t choose just one:
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Teaching her own sons—and future daughters-in-law
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Collaborating with students to create meaningful yearbooks
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Sharing her love of reading and language with countless classes
Each memory reflects a life deeply invested in others. As she steps into retirement, she looks forward to embracing what poet Mary Oliver calls her “one wild and precious life.” She is excited to:
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Be present in the daily lives of her grandchildren
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Travel with her husband
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Enjoy evenings free from grading—filled instead with books she loves
Her love for the Ben Lippen community is evident:
“The two things that I have thoroughly savored…are its intelligence and its sense of humor. Rarely…have I not been able to have lovely, smart, informed conversations…[often] sprinkled with laughter, which feeds my soul.”
