This article is part of a series by The Vicksburg Post, in partnership with the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce, featuring each of the nominees for teacher of the year honors.

Richard Hunt aims to teach his students the skills and solutions needed to build confidence for the workplace. 

Hunt, the Hinds Community College Animation and Simulation Design Instructor, said he encourages his students to prepare themselves for a professional role. 

“Students are encouraged from day one to refer to themselves as game designers,” Hunt said. 

Students that apply the professional role to the classroom also learn how to criticize work in proper terms. 

“The professional and constructive approach aims to encourage students to be more relaxed and less guarded when analyzing their work and the work of others,” Hunt said. 

Hunt is a finalist for the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year award. The chamber will select and announce one elementary and one secondary teacher of the year at the chamber luncheon, which has been rescheduled to Mar. 1. The winner of each award will receive $1,000 from Ameristar Casino, and the runner-up for each award will receive $500 from Mutual Credit Union. 

Hunt began his teaching career at Hinds Community College as an Animation and Simulation Design Instructor and is also a Residential Design and Building Information Modeling Instructor. 

He has a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi and is expecting to graduate in 2022 from the MBA program for Integrated Masters of Business Administration at Delta State University. 

In his Educator of the Year application, Hunt reiterated the importance of preparing his students for a professional career. On the first day of class, Hunt said he establishes a clear definition of respect and expectations that allows his students to be able to express themselves within the given guidelines.

“Students learn that separating personal life and work-life mimics employer expectations and better prepares them for life beyond the classroom,” he said.