A high school teacher from Jacksonville, Texas, and a volunteer coach from Phoenix, Ariz., were honored by the Baylor School of Education (SOE).
The Baylor SOE each year honors memorable teachers or mentors as part of its annual Senior Recognition Banquet. Memorable educators are nominated by the Baylor students, who submit an essay to support their nomination.
The late Marilyn Hooker of Jacksonville, nominated by senior education major Meagan Pike, and Floyd Samons of Phoenix, nominated by senior Health Science Studies major Sabrina Kinzley, were both honored at the banquet April 14 on the Baylor campus in Waco. Both students read their essays at the banquet.
Pike is a 2010 graduate of Jacksonville High School, and Mrs. Hooker was her AP English teacher during her junior year.
“Mrs. Hooker had an impact on us during our high school career that would carry far beyond the classroom, pushing us to be better learners and better people throughout our lives,” Pike said.
Pike is a graduating senior at Baylor, studying secondary education with a specialization in English Language Arts.
“Mrs. Hooker’s love for her students is what has inspired me in my pursuit of a teaching career,” Pike said. “I have known that I wanted to be a teacher since I was in kindergarten, but Mrs. Hooker made me realize what kind of teacher I wanted to be and what kind of person I wanted to become.”
Mrs. Hooker died in October 2012, and her husband, Darvin Hooker, accepted the award on her behalf. Also in attendance at the banquet were the Hookers’ daughter, Kristi Summerlin and her husband, Newell, and the Hookers’ son, John Hooker.
Kinzley said that she nominated Samons because of his encouragement of her and her teammates on a high school lacrosse team while he was a volunteer coach.
“He always told us to do what we love and give 100 percent when we did it,” Kinzley said. “He said if we were not giving 100 percent, then it wasn’t worth doing.”
She said that Samons pushed the players to work hard, and she learned lessons that help her today as she prepares to graduate and attend nursing school.
“I have continued to push myself since high school and have found myself often thinking back to Floyd’s sprints as I study for yet another exam or start another rigorous semester,” she said. “I keep my future goals in sight, and I remind myself that this is worth doing, so I give 100 percent.”
Mr. Samons was unable to attend the banquet, so Kinzley accepted on his behalf.
By Meg Cullar
Click below to read the essays about Mrs. Hooker and Coach Samons.
Most Memorable Teacher-Mrs. Hooker
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Founded in 1919, the Baylor School of Education (SOE) prepares leaders through four departments in two broad program areas, Professional/Teacher Education and Health Education. Leadership preparation begins in undergraduate programs, continues through master’s level work, and culminates in both EdD and PhD programs. The SOE impacts the world as students participate in faculty-guided fieldwork, service learning, and community-focused research in local and global contexts. The school shapes the future by mentoring the whole person, developing an understanding of theory and practice, and encouraging responsiveness to one’s calling.