The desert air had a way of making everything feel sharper鈥攅very sound, every decision, every second. For nearly fourteen years, James Ingram lived in that world. As a Tactical Air Control Party specialist in the Air Force, he stood at the intersection of chaos and precision, calling in airstrikes, coordinating with forces across branches, and navigating missions that stretched from the ground beneath his boots to the highest levels of strategy. It was exactly the life he had imagined for himself鈥攊ntense, purposeful, and filled with challenges that demanded everything he had.
And he gave it everything.
What stayed with James most, though, wasn鈥檛 just the adrenaline or the travel or even the pride of serving鈥攊t was the lessons forged under pressure. Leadership wasn鈥檛 just a concept; it was something you carried into every moment, whether things were calm or falling apart. Teamwork wasn鈥檛 optional; it was survival. And above all, he learned one truth that would follow him long after he hung up his uniform: no matter how hard things get, you keep moving forward. Eventually, you make it through.
He didn鈥檛 expect his next chapter to come so abruptly.
An injury overseas forced him to retire earlier than planned. One day he was doing the job he loved; the next, he was back home in Abilene, searching for direction. He tried a few jobs, but something was missing. They paid the bills, but they didn鈥檛 mean anything. He needed more than that鈥攈e needed purpose.
It took looking back to move forward.
During his time in the military, James had spent countless hours as an instructor, training younger airmen. He remembered the satisfaction of watching them grow, the pride in knowing he had played a role in their success. That feeling hadn鈥檛 gone away. In fact, it had been waiting for him.
So he made a decision that would reshape his life鈥攈e enrolled at McMurry University to become a teacher.
It wasn鈥檛 just about earning a degree; it was about building something new. He chose McMurry for its close-knit environment, wanting a place where he wouldn鈥檛 get lost in the crowd. And that鈥檚 exactly what he found. Professors who knew his name, who invested their time, who made sure he didn鈥檛 fall behind. The smaller classrooms gave him space to grow, to ask questions, and to push himself further than he thought possible.
But the road wasn鈥檛 easy.
While working toward his degree, James became a single father, raising five kids while juggling school, work, and recovery from his injuries. It was exhausting鈥攕ome days felt impossible. But the lesson he had learned years earlier never left him: keep pushing forward.
So he did.
And in the end, he didn鈥檛 just finish鈥攈e graduated with honors.
That moment wasn鈥檛 just about him. It was about his family, about stability, about proving that even the hardest paths can lead somewhere meaningful. Being a McMurry alumnus, to James, wasn鈥檛 just a title鈥攊t was the foundation of the life he was building for his children.
Today, you鈥檒l find him in a very different kind of battlefield鈥攁 classroom.
At TLCA, James teaches history, but what he really offers goes far beyond dates and events. His classroom is a place where students learn to think for themselves, to ask questions, and to understand the world around them. His military background shows not in strictness, but in patience. He鈥檚 laid back, approachable, and focused on helping students grow not just academically, but personally.
And when the final bell rings, his role doesn鈥檛 end.
Out on the field, coaching football and track, he continues to guide young people in a different way. Coaching has always been part of who he is鈥攁 passion rooted in his own experiences as an athlete. The lessons he learned from his coaches stayed with him, and now he passes them on: discipline, resilience, and the importance of striving to be better every day.
To him, teaching and coaching aren鈥檛 just jobs. They鈥檙e opportunities鈥攇ifts, even. Each day, he wakes up ready to go, not because he has to, but because he wants to.
At home, life is just as full. With five kids involved in sports and band, his time is rarely his own鈥攂ut he wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way. When he does find a spare moment, you might find him outdoors hunting or fishing, working on custom knives and swords, or gathered with friends around a barbecue.
But no matter where he is鈥攃lassroom, field, or home鈥擩ames Ingram鈥檚 mission remains the same.
He wants the people around him to leave better than they arrived. To stand up for what鈥檚 right. To take care of their communities. To carry forward the lessons that matter when things get tough.
Because he knows, better than most, that life will get tough.
And when it does, the only way forward鈥s forward.
Do you or an alum you know have a great post-McMurry story? We鈥檇 love to feature YOU! Contact the Alumni Office at聽alumni@mcm.edu聽to schedule an interview.