Education in 2023

“Education” is our feature for this special issue of Southern Funeral Directors Magazine. The funeral profession already has a shortage of licensed funeral directors and embalmers and the much discussed national exam only has a 58%-60% pass rate. Yet, our profession is needed now, more than ever, to minister to the families during these post pandemic and rising homicide and suicide rates.

Special thanks to SFD’s Elli Morris for her in-depth article, “The Future of the Profession - Is It Really Very Different From the Past?” Elli addresses some of the core issues we face everyday as well as the multiple number of questions we have that seem to have very little answers. 2023 will bring more changes, but will these changes be more positive or negative to our industry? Only time will tell! SFD always welcomes and supports all Mortuary Colleges and are delighted to have John A. Gupton send us a couple of “Student Essays” from Andrea Snow and Samantha Poiner. 

Also, Jefferson State Community College was gracious enough to have additional “Student Essays” from Debra Cochran, who at the age of 67, is retired, was a school teacher , wife of 48 years, mom of 3 sons, assistant in their funeral home and active grand mother, and now full time mortuary college student. Plus, additional thanks to Jefferson State’s, LaKeitha Seroyer and Jason Barrow, for their time and effort in submitting their view of the funeral profession from a student’s point of view.

We also appreciate Hannah Burns, sharing her passion for the profession and writing an article “Embracing Hospice - Benefits of Optimizing Palliative Care”