Chris Twiggs

And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Chris Twiggs
Professor of English and Literature, South Campus

English class is a true cross section of Florida Community College’s 60,000+ student population. Professor Chris Twiggs meets students of all ages, backgrounds and interests — from young adults pursuing arts and sciences degrees to working baby boomers and retired military retraining for new careers.

“As teachers, we have to be inspiring,” he said. Regardless of their goals or backgrounds, when Twiggs’ students hear about his personal triumphs, they are plenty inspired.

A runner for 13 years and avid marathoner, Twiggs started planning and training four years ago to get ready for his ultimate challenge in summer 2005.

Hardrock is a grueling 100-mile endurance run through the mountains of southwest Colorado. The icy altitudes, rugged terrain, and many unmarked trails account for its reputation as the toughest ultra-marathon in the world.

For every endorphin-high he felt during his 44-hour, nine-minute Hardrock experience, Twiggs says there were many more demoralizing lows due to extreme exhaustion, pain and not a wink of sleep. There was no celebratory champagne uncorked after receiving his prized Hardrock belt buckle, which he often wears to class. After crossing the finish line, “I took a nap,” he laughed.

Twiggs has also won awards for 100-mile runs in Vermont and Leadville, Colorado. A coach and mentor both inside and outside the classroom, he works with hundreds of distance runners and teaches fitness classes.

The Fernandina resident joined the Florida Community College faculty three years ago. In addition to three levels of English, he teaches introductory literature and an elective, “The Bible as Literature.” An educator for 13 years, Twiggs previously worked at several institutions in Northeast Florida, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Flagler College, Santa Fe Community College and Jacksonville University. He also taught literature at Furman University in South Carolina. Twiggs earned his master’s in literature from Florida State University in 1992 and minored in religion.

He said the biggest reward in teaching comes from helping students in college-prep, or as he prefers to call it, developmental English.

Building trust is step one. “My greatest challenge in teaching is getting students to believe that I am not the enemy,” he says. “I am not a judge. I’m a coach, an assistant. Once they accept me in that role, we’re a team working together to learn the information, achieve the goals, write the papers, pass the grammar test. Then, together we can celebrate.”

With all of his academic and teaching experiences, his first choice is right here. “I love what we do here at FCCJ. The idea of helping people achieve their goals really appeals to me. This is where I want to be.”

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