A Lifelong Educator Who Never Stopped Believing in Her Students Joretta Duncan Named Emporia State University 2025 Distinguished Alumni
Emporia, KS (10/13/2025) — Joretta Duncan's teaching career spanned more than 60 years and touched countless lives - from Kansas farm towns to Oklahoma tribal communities and adult GED classrooms. Her legacy as a beloved and persistent educator is what earned her the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award from Emporia State University.
Duncan was born in Augusta, Kansas, during the Great Depression and always knew she wanted to teach. Her first attempt at college ended when her mother pulled her home, dissatisfied with her academic effort. "She told me if I wanted to go back, I'd have to pay for it," Duncan recalled. "So I worked two jobs and got going."
She began her career in a two-room school in Gordon, Kansas, then returned to Emporia to complete her degree in 1960. For decades, she taught English and speech. In 1970, she and her husband Gene moved to Jay, Oklahoma, where Duncan became a trusted teacher in a district serving many Native American students. There, she taught for 27 years - building lifelong connections with her students.
Later in life, she continued teaching adult learners - including incarcerated individuals working toward their GED - and was still in the classroom until retiring at age 88.
"I just love to be with the kids," she said. "It's in my blood."
To those following in her footsteps, Duncan offers simple but powerful advice: "You have to understand the child. That's where it starts."
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its institute and seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business & Technology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Library and Information Management & Library and Archives, Science & Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.
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Joretta Duncan of Jay, Oklahoma, is one of five Emporia State graduates named 2025 Distinguished Alumni.
Emporia State University
Gwendolynne Larson, ESU director of media relations, (620) 341-5528, glarson1@emporia.eduShare this Story
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