RSS Feed
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The reception took place in the Clay County Board of Education Conference Room and, beginning at 6 p.m., lasted until 7:30.
Mr. Charles Penland, the chairman of the Clay County Board of Education, delivered the welcome to a full crowd.
"[Education] is an awesome responsibility for us. We take it extremely seriously," he said, commenting on the success of the Clay County School System. Addressing those present from Western Carolina University and NCCAT, he said, "We feel like one of the main reasons we're able to continue our quality education here is because of the fine new teachers that you send to us every year and because of the quality of the continuing education programs that you provide for us."
Harrison Keely/ Sentinel Photo Whichard and his wife are presented with gifts. Penland concluded by thanking Whichard, the vice president for the Development Foundation of NCCAT, for the scholarship program his family had provided, saying that the school was honored.
A retired Methodist minister, Rufus Stark, delivered the invocation.
"We give [God] thanks that the quality [of teaching] can be celebrated by Bill and Leona [Whichard] as they provide this gift of scholarships that will provide opportunities for teachers right here in Clay County to further their education and strengthen their skills...." he said. "We pray that young people may grow through these efforts, that they will be beneficial to humankind here and around the world." Stark ended his prayer by mentioning that Jesus Christ was the greatest teacher of all.
A personal perspective on the donation of the scholarship and all that it meant was contributed by Dr. Mary Jo Allen, Former Executive Director of NCCAT.
Harrison Keely/ Sentinel Photo Leona Whichard helps a young lady straighten her hair before the banquet. "I just wanted to be a high school math teacher, and instead I became later a superintendent," she began, detailing her own journey to the state's program. "Those of you sitting in this room may not know it, but NCCAT itself is the dream and vision of a teacher. And she convinced the government and a bunch of legislators that teachers need a place to go back to to learn. As I went through my tenure, NCCAT became a richer, broader place."
Allen stated that NCCAT was opening up a new campus in addition to the current one in Cullowhee, North Carolina. The program's new eastern campus will be located at Ocracoke Island and is slated to be open this month.
Whichard once attended an event at NCCAT and spoke on a book he had written. Allen, who had been in attendance at the time, asked him to join her for breakfast. She said that was her first occurrence with anyone related to Beulah Padgett Whichard.
Harrison Keely/ Sentinel Photo A catered banquet was provided for guests. Allen said that Whichard's mother, who taught students for 23 years, grew up much like she herself did, on a farm. "We learned to respect God's earth; we learned to respect God's people," she said.
"Children are like arrows that we shoot from a bow," she quoted, before continuing, "Mrs. Beulah had shot a very fine child."
Fast-forwarding, Allen told of how "Mrs. Beulah's" son had once walked into her office and said, "Mary Jo, I want to do something to honor my mother."
She said that Justice Whichard had told her, "When I was in the eighth grade my English teacher made us write a paper and we were to end the paper by saying what we wanted to be when we grew up. Believe it or not, I said I wanted to be a lawyer."
"But aren't all of us glad... that he wasn't just a lawyer?" she asked. "Because Bill is a reflection of what came from [Beulah's] heart. He has served our state as a statesman. He's been in the house. He's been in the senate. He's been a supreme court justice. But the part I like best of all, is that he ended his career as a teacher. So Bill Whichard's story is the one I know because I never met Mrs. Beulah... Tonight I thank her son, for having a dream, and a vision."
Harrison Keely/ Sentinel Photo Charles Penland, the chairman of the Clay County Board of Education, welcomed the crowd to the event. Executive Director of NCCAT, Dr. Mary D. McDuffie, oversaw presentation of the scholarship, giving the Whichards a plaque.
"The teachers will be known as Whichard scholars," she said. "We're really excited to have this opportunity to share with teachers from Clay County even more opportunities for renewing their passion for this profession because it really is all about passion. Passion's what makes us get up in the morning. Passion is what makes us really excited. And passion is what keeps the Whichards coming to NCCAT."
Whichard was the last to speak, offering closing remarks, prior to a video of what NCCAT offered to teachers.
"I have developed a passion for the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching," he stated, before turning to thank those who had spoken. Whichard discussed his mother 's history, and settled on her legacy.
"Every other year there will be a teacher from Clay County experiencing the enrichment of NCCAT seminars as a result of this scholarship," he said, adding that it's the goal of the NCCAT foundation to have each of the state's school systems establish at least one honored educator scholarship.
"I hope, over time, to fund another scholarship so that they'll be one for Clay County every year," he concluded.
To comment on this article, e-mail Harrison at hkeely@gmail.com.
|
for larger version      |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
