What is your hometown, what brought you 

to the Pensacola area, and how long have 

you been here?

My hometown is Roanoke, Virginia. I went to East 

Tennessee State University where I met my husband.  

I wanted to go to law school and my husband was 

going to be a dentist. His father talked him out of it 

and we moved to Pensacola because his father had 

just purchased Astro Lincoln Mercury and needed 

help from him. I fell in love with this town and the 

wonderful people I met when I started teaching school 

in 1971.   

What is your profession and give a brief 

description of what you do.

I only taught two years and then stayed home for 

8 to raise my two boys. In 1980 I went back to Tate 

where I started a law studies program. Taking students 

to visit the jail and the prison in Century was an eye 

opener for us all. The Principal, Jim May, told me I 

needed to be the Dean and I was not sure I wanted to 

but he convinced me and I loved it. The students were 

really so very good it made the job easy. I retired in 

2014 and wish I hadn’t.

What led you to choose this profession?

Ralph Godwin was the Principal and a friend of my 

father in law. He was trying to hire teachers and he 

asked me if I was interested. I said I would try it and 

it was amazing to me how I was able to help some of 

these young people and how they inspired me. I was 

addicted to teaching.   

What do you like best about Pensacola? 

What makes it so unique?

Pensacola is a big town with the heart of a small 

village. There are so many great people that reach out 

to others and work hard to make things wonderful for 

everyone. There is always fabulous local entertainment 

(ex: White Tie, Children’s Chorus, Blue Wahoo’s and 

on and on) plus great restaurants and fabulous parades 

and balls. It is unique because where else do you have 

so many Krewes helping charities and putting on 

great parades for the entire town. The smiles on the 

children’s faces when you throw them stuffed animals 

at Christmas are amazing.

Three words that best describe you. 

Caring, grateful, and a little crazy.

Favorite Things you like about Pensacola. 

Shows at Saenger Theatre such as White Tie & 

Broadway Shows, great restaurants, beautiful beaches, 

warm weather (most of the time), and fabulous people.

I AM PENSACOLA because…  

I am Pensacola because of the love and compassion 

shown by so many people here. Through good times 

and bad times there is always a huge part of this town 

that have each other’s back.

I AM PENSACOLA

Esther 

Culbertson

photo by Zhalman Harris

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