Gina Clark
/Gina Clark
Four States Living Tribute To Women
photo by ANITA PEEK PHOTOGRAPHY
A coach and business teacher at Pleasant Grove High School, Gina Clark enjoys being a good role model for her students and touching many lives along the way. Married to husband, Doyle, for 24 years next month, they are the proud parents of a daughter, Ashlyn, who is a sophomore at UCA in Conway, Arkansas, and a son, Brenton, a seventh grader at PGMS.
Gina with her daughter, Ashlyn; son, Brenton; and husband, Doyle, enjoying a beautiful spring day in their backyard.
After working in banking for 11 years as a teller supervisor and a float, Gina Clark found her calling when she started working in education. She has taught and coached at Texas High for seven years, Red Lick ISD for nine years, and is currently at Pleasant Grove ISD. “I think every day can be rewarding when teaching and coaching students and athletes,” she says. “You have a chance to be a good role model and touch many lives. I would have to say, I was so touched to know that one of my parents nominated me for this honor. It means the world to me.”
Becoming a mother is one of Gina’s proudest accomplishments. She tries her best to live her life as an example to her children and her students, and can often be heard saying, “Don’t ever give up; never say ‘can’t’; and if you don’t ask, the answer is always, ‘no.’” When mentoring young ladies, she encourages them to be proud and to respect themselves, often telling them to never give up on their dreams and that they can be and do whatever they desire.
Gina was raised in a loving and supportive family. Her parents, Bearl and Rosie Davis, taught her the importance of hard work and treating everyone with respect, a trait she personifies to this day. Another very influential person in Gina’s life is Debbie Norton. “Debbie is a family friend and was my elementary math teacher. She is one of the kindest people I know and a true mentor and friend to me when I was growing up,” she explains. “I could call her to this day, and she would help my family with no
questions asked.”
Watching sports, spending time with her family, being outdoors, and reading are Gina’s favorite pastimes. And for the past nine years, she has enjoyed helping with Special Olympics. “I’ve coached for 17 years, but this is probably my favorite sporting event of the year,” she explains. “I also introduced my daughter to this cause and her sorority’s main philanthropy is now Special Olympics.”
Dependable and personable, Gina Clark always strives to do her best and is always looking for ways to help others, whether in the community or in her career.
The Way Dr. Belinda Hutcheson sees her
Gina is a loving and dedicated mother, daughter, wife, teacher, and coach who gets done in one day what most people don’t have the energy to do in a week. She is always willing to take on another assignment, and when she does, it is with full commitment and 100% effort. I first met her when I coached her son in recreational soccer about six years ago. At that time, she was working at Red Lick and was athletic director. As I got to know her better, I found out that she coached all the girls’ sports, was one of the morning bus drivers for the school, was living between surgeries and therapies with her daughter, and was planning to build a house next to her own for her mother!
This past year, my children had the privilege to have her as coach and teacher, and we have been able to experience firsthand how dedicated she is to the kids and families that she serves. She truly cares about her students and athletes as if they were her own children and is willing to go above and beyond to make a team feel like family and a class more fun and interesting. I am so thankful our paths
have crossed. She has taught me that no task is too big or too small, that everything we do is better done with 100% of our efforts, and that your plate is never really too full.
FUN FACTS
What is something unique about you that most people would not know?
“My daughter, Ashlyn, is also my sister. We are in the same sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha. I was thrilled when she joined the sorority, and I was able to pass down my letters after 28 years.”
If you could have dinner with one person, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
“My dad, Bearl Davis. He passed away six months after Doyle and I got married. He was my rock, and I couldn’t ask for a better father.”
If you could travel to space, and it was free, would you go?
“No, but I would love a trip anywhere tropical with 75 degree weather.”
What music do you listen to in your vehicle?
“Christian.”
What did you imagine yourself being when you were growing up? “Teacher and coach. I always loved sports and kids.”
What is the last gift you gave someone?
“A get well goody basket for one of my cross country runners having surgery.”
What is your favorite meal that you order regularly at a local establishment?
“I enjoy McAlisters’ chicken tortilla soup, jalapeno turkey crunch, and sweet tea.”
If there was a movie produced about your life, which actress would portray you?
“Julia Roberts.”