Of course we are all familiar worth the old adage "good things often come in small packages."  Jane Bouterse indeed epitomizes the embodiment of that adage.  Although now retired, Jane's 30 - plus year career at Texarkana College was critical to many student's mastery of English, helping them overcome comma splices, run-on sentences, and any other number of other writing mistakes and errata.

Mrs. Bouterse's composition class was well known as one of the toughest on campus, as she established and maintained high expectations for her students.  Jane did not merely suggest that students prepare rough drafts of their work, she required them.  She also did much to increase her students' appreciation of the world's great literature, regularly encouraging them to read the books of the authors that were unfamiliar to them - a practice that resulted in expanding the reading horizons of countless students.

"...An energetic individual who marshaled all of her resources for the betterment of her students and for Texarkana College,' writes one former colleague."  ... Quixotic passion for standards and quality..."  "... [O]ne of the most patient and caring instructors I have ever had..."  "...[C]ompassionionate, dedicated and supportive with me in my academic pursuits."  These are but a few of the comments made by former students whose testaments all agree that the benefits of having had Jane Bouterse as an instructor were many indeed.

On TC Administrator affectionately refers to Ms. Bouterse as "Buckshot," perhaps coining that nickname because she is small but tough!  Yet beneath that toughness is a vast love for our language and an immeasurable dedication to her students.  As one student recalls, "Of all the things I fondly remember about Ms. Bouterse', my favorite is the way she would end each and every class reminding us to "look for the rainbows."  Worth infinitely more than the pots of gold at the end of those rainbows, is this jewel in the TC crown we salute today, Ms. Jane Bouterse.