Dr. Mary Lou Hightower received her Doctor of Education Degree from University of South Carolina in Curriculum and Instruction with a major emphasis in Art. She has retired from Spartanburg School District Six system where she served as the District Art Coordinator and visual arts teacher for 30 years. She recently retired from University of South Carolina Upstate as Professor Emeritus of Art Education in the Department of Fine Arts and Communication Studies where she created the Bachelor of Art in Art Education. She is a practicing watermedia artist and signature member of the South Carolina Watermedia Society. For the past fifteen years, she has been a reader of the Advanced Placement for Art and Design Portfolios College Board. For the past twenty years, Dr. Hightower served as an elected school board trustee of Spartanburg School District Six, Spartanburg, SC. In November 2022, the South Carolina Art Education Association selected her as the award winner for the 2022 Lifetime Achievement in Art Education.