Ray Malmgren
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire” (William Butler Yeats).
Lighting the fire of education, either for personal learning or instructing others, is what Ray Malmgren has set as his lifetime goal.
After finishing high school in Illinois, Ray joined the military in 1989 and served in both the National Guard and United States Army where he was on active duty from 1998-2004. He brings business experience to the classroom having created and managed his own commercial cleaning business.
Multi-talented, Ray is able to juggle a number of jobs at once, which is a handy skill for a middle school teacher. At the age of 33, while stationed at Fort Benning, Ray enrolled in Columbus State University’s secondary education teacher preparation program. He attended classes evenings and weekends and even enrolled in an independent study while on active duty in Korea. Ray credits the faculty and staff at Columbus State for his success. “The faculty and staff of Columbus State University were nothing short of incredible in helping me to achieve my goal of an educator. I finished my education degree while still on active duty with the Army. So needless to say, I needed professors who were willing to work with me and who could understand my military commitments. All of them were devoted to helping me to achieve my goals, envisioning me as the teacher I would be someday.” Ray especially acknowledges Dr. Jim Brewbaker and Dr. Sallie Miller for their support during his studies.
Ray now teaches eighth grade Language Arts at Harris County Carver Middle School in Hamilton Georgia. He loves language arts and has been an avid reader and writer (he even writes poetry!). While teaching, and supporting his family, Ray earned his Master of Education degree in 2007, again returning to the supportive faculty at Columbus State. In addition, he completed a Reading Endorsement and a Gifted Endorsement, enabling him to teach in three areas. He also maintains his service to our country, serving as an instructor for the Georgia Army National Guard in Macon, Georgia.
Ray is a great role model for his students and colleagues—indeed for all of us. It’s his personal goal to have his students become “Better Readers, Better Writers, Better Thinkers, and Better People.” All thank him for “Creating a More Educated Georgia.”