TISD has selected Jimmy and Susan Rollins as the recipients of the 2021 Commitment to Education: Community Award. This award is presented annually to community leaders who promote and support the education of our youth inside and beyond the classroom.
Jimmy Rollins has lived on Tarkington Prairie for more than 25 years, operating J Rollins Construction during much of this time. His wife Susan Wood Rollins attended Tarkington Schools from the third through the tenth grades and has resided in Tarkington for the past 20 years. They have six children, two of whom graduated from Tarkington, and 15 grandchildren, a number of whom have attended local schools and one who is in the eighth grade currently. One of their daughters-in-law teaches fourth grade in the district.
Jimmy and Susan operate J Bar Ranch & Arena where they regularly have events featuring roping, barrel racing, and cutting. On Thursday evenings, they host the Liberty County 4-H Equine Team for their practices.
As founding members of the M Club of Tarkington, the staunchest supporters of the Tarkington Student Foundation and its scholarship program, Jimmy and Susan have helped raise more than $437,000 since 2015 to provide scholarship funds to all Tarkington graduates pursuing education beyond high school. The M Club’s fundraising success would not have been possible without them hosting the Annual Crawfish Boil since 2017. The M Club’s 6th Annual Crawfish Boil will be held at J Bar Ranch & Arena on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
Jimmy and Susan give of their time and money to support local school and community events and groups like youth baseball teams. Susan has served on several Tarkington ISD campus improvement committees. She is involved now with Dairy Day and the Trinity Valley Exposition and particularly enjoys her work with the Dairy Day Queen’s Contest to raise money for their educational scholarships.
Jimmy and Susan love Tarkington Prairie and its people and are committed to ensuring the future remains bright. They look forward to continuing to invest in Tarkington’s youth by supporting education and related activities that lead to today’s youth understanding and appreciating the importance of giving over taking and being accountable for their actions.