Southern Wayne English teacher honored for work
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on July 10, 2007 1:45 PM
A Southern Wayne High School English teacher has been named an Educator of Distinction by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
Glenda Martindale is one of 250 teachers across the country chosen for the honor.
She has taught at Southern Wayne since 1987. Before that, she taught in Greene County and had been a teacher's aide at Meadow Lane Elementary School.
J. Mark Davis, president of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, said the award represents the noble and heartfelt dedication of the educators who help shape the future of America by encouraging its future leaders.
"The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation is committed to education and we are proud to support the Educators of Distinction program," he said. "It is our way of saying thank you and congratulations to these teachers."
The program was created in 1986. It has awarded more than 3,750 student scholarship awards, for a total of $32 million. This is the eighth year for the teacher aspect of the program, made possible through a grant.
Ms. Martindale received a commemorative crystal apple and a framed certificate. She was nominated by one of her students, David Overman, a 2007 Coca-Cola Scholar and recent graduate from Southern Wayne.
Overman, attending N.C. State University in the fall, was one of 250 outstanding high school seniors who received college scholarship money this year. Once named a scholar, each student then named the educator who encouraged him most for the Educator of Distinction honor.
Ms. Martindale said she was surprised and humbled by the recognition.
"It was a very pleasant moment" when she was notified, she said.
But the greatest honor was to read what her former student had written about her, she added. The personal dedication was inscribed on the certificate.
"'For your love and guidance shared with me over the course of my life, for your willingness to share knowledge and provide help in times of need and for challenging me to become the best student and person that I could possible be, I designated you as my Educator of Distinction. You have touched more lives than you will ever know,'" she read.
"I just cried when I read that."