Coalson Family Dance Scholarship In Memory of Cynthia Joy Coalson

The Coalson Family Education Scholarship was established on behalf of the Estate of Joy Ann Coalson in memory of her daughter Cynthia Joy Coalson. Joy Ann Mitchell, daughter of Mark and Annie Mitchell, was born and raised in McCullough County, Brady, TX. It was in Brady that she met the love of her life, A. M. Coalson, Jr., at the age of 15. Both Joy and A.M. were raised on ranches in McCullough County and learned to work hard at a very young age. Cynthia Joy Coalson was born on May 3, 1966. After high school, Cynthia completed a degree in Education from Texas Tech University. Cynthia loved music and dancing and came to Sam Houston State University in the summer of 1989 to obtain her Master’s Eegree. At that time, the Dance curriculum was part of the College of Education Kinesiology program. She completed her Master of Arts in Kinesiology with a concentration in dance on May 4, 1991. While at Sam Houston, Cynthia was immediately recognized as a strong leader and visionary. She was the first president of the SHSU dance organization, now known as the Orange Pride Dance Team, which is frequently recognized nationally for excellence in performance. Immediately after graduation, Cynthia accepted a teaching position at Bryan ISD. Her talent and passion for dance led Cynthia to become the director of the Bryan High School Shy-Anne Dance Team. In January 1993, Cynthia was injured in a one-vehicle wreck that cut her promising career in education short.