b'A Force Greater Than Her Own: Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin By Connie Rouse DavisMayorTeresaMyersErvinoftheCityofFlorencedayatthehospital,Teresa,youaresosmartthat SC is the first African American and female to everyoucouldeasilybecomearegisterednurse.Once holdthisposition.Nooneshouldbesurprisedasmorefollowingtheadviceofthoseshetrusted,she herparents,thelateCharlieandIsabellaMyers,entered Francis Marion University, where she earned encouraged her at a very early agea Bachelor of Science in Nursing. topursuedreams,andhavetheBut, she still had not given up her disciplineessentialtoachievingidea of entering the air force.them.FROM COUNCILWOMAN TeresaMyerswasbornandTO MAYORrearedinFlorenceCounty.SheOnherwaytothehospitalone waseducatedinFlorenceSchoolday,shemetherhusband,Lavon District One.She loved attendingErvin,whodeclaredatfirst churchandbeingamissionarysightthatshewouldbehiswife. forthe Young WomensAuxiliaryIronically, he also wanted to serve but being an officer in the Unitedinthearmy.Theysoondated, States Air Force was her ultimatemarried,andstartedafamilyso dream.Unfortunately, her motherallnotionsofmilitarycareers believedthatthearmedserviceswerechanged. Today,havingover werenotasuitableplacefora40 years of experience in nursing, younglady,giventheobstaclesacertificationspecialtyinthe womenfacedinthemilitaryatNeonatalResuscitationProgram thattime.Still,Teresafeltcalledforwhichsheisaninstructor, tothismission.HeroldestsisterEvery day is a new day. Never giveandlateranHonoraryDoctorate warnedfurther,Teresa,ifyouup because each new day is a newofHumanitiesfromheralma pursuethis,itwillkillMama.opportunity to grow and become bettermaterfordistinguishedservice Beinganobedientchild,shethan the day before. tohercommunity,sheisgrateful adjustedherdreamsandenteredMayor Teresa Myers Ervin toworkwithbabiesandtheir theLicensePracticalNursingfamilies,guidingthemthrough programhersenioryearinhightheir infants emergency traumatic schoolashermothersuggested.Adreamdeferredsituations at the onset of their lives.would not be a dream deterred as she believed that being a nurse would simply give her a higher rank inTeresa says she has always believed in helping others. the air force. When she volunteered as secretary for her community Nineteenmonthslater,shecompletedherclinicalsassociation,ViceChairwomanHarriettSmithsaw atFlorenceDarlingtonTechandenteredacareerher potential and urged Teresa to run for the Florence ingeneralnursingattheurgingofhereldestsister,City Council. As always, she listened and was elected Virginia Brown. Then two African American nursingin 2010 to represent District One, with 3 young adults technicians, Ms. Coker and Ms. Ashley, told her onevolunteeringtorunhercampaign.Sheserveduntil 2020.Whenre-electionforthethenmayorrolled 16IMARA'