The Diboll
Free Press Keeping news on a first-name basis
2013, Issue No. 22
Dateline Diboll
Project Grad
Diboll Project Graduation is gearing up for a great celebration for the 2013 Seniors. If you would like a donationc of any kind or to volunteer , please call 936-240-7078. If you would like to mail in a donation, please mail to Diboll Project Graduation, P. O. Box 312, Diboll, Tx. 75941. Thanks to the community for supporting the Diboll High School Class of 2013.
75
Suarez retirement reception
Beatrice Suarez is retiring after 36 years with DISD. There will be a reception celebrating her years of service and retirement from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at the Diboll Family Education Center, 299 S. Neil Pickett Drive.
Pack the House!
Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pouland’s “The Everything Store.” Come try their gourmet foods and visit with your neighbors.
Diboll, Texas: Proud home of the DHS Class of 2013
DHS Class of 2013 graduates Friday 2003 grad Katrina Hines to speak RICHARD NELSON
editor@dibollfreepress.com
Katrina Hines will address the Diboll High School Class of 2013, just a decade removed from sitting where they will be at 8 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Lumberjack Stadium. Hines graduated DHS
in Class of 2003 and then graduated in 2007 from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She followed that with graduating magna cum laude from Prairie View A&M University in 2010 with a master of arts degree in Counseling. She received a second master’s
degree in Human Science from Prairie View A&M University in 2012. Hines is licensed by the state of Texas as a Licensed Professional CounselorIntern in which she specializes in Psychotherapy. She is also a National Certified Counselor. She has been employed with the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services for six
years. The Class of 2013 and many in the audience might want to heed what Hines has to say because she is also employed with Strider Counseling Center where she gives psychotherapy services to adolescents, teens and young adults. One of the messages she’ll deliver is, “The diSee GRADS, P. A8
Retirement delayed
Johnson retiring at end of school year ... or baseball season
Midway Cemetery meeting
BURLON WILKERSON
See DATELINE, P. B6
“I can’t think of anything else I would rather have done over the last 30 years,” Terry Johnson said when discussing his upcoming retirement in a recent interview. “Diboll has been good to me, and I have enjoyed my time here.” “Coach” Johnson, as he is usually called, plans to retire at the end of the school year. He has coached and taught American History at Diboll High School since 1990. Johnson’s family moved to Lufkin from Floydada in West Texas when he was 6 years old. He graduated from Lufkin High School and attended Angelina College where he played baseball before receiving his degree in Kinesiology from
office@dibollfreepress.com
The annual meeting of the Midway Cemetery Assoc. is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 1. Donations may be made to Patrick Dickens, chairman, 3876 Midway Loop East, Livingston, TX 77531; 936-563-2056; patshane88@yahoo. com.
Freed By Christ
This is an exciting time of year for a lot of students and families. High school and college seniors are graduating. They all have big decisions to make. How do they know what decision to make? Where can they turn for help in making some of the most important decisions in their lives? Jesus Christ is the only one that can truly show them the right decision and right path. Their parents can be led by God to help their children make the right decision. God’s Bible says in Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Jesus Christ has a perfect plan for your life. All you have to do is accept His gift of salvation and He will lead you in that plan. Please let Christ Jesus begin to direct your life today. -- Bro. Kenny Hibbs, First Baptist Church
INDEX
Classified.......................B6 Local History,,,,.........................B6 Neighborhoods...........B2-B3 Opinion.........................B4 Puzzles.........................B4 Religion......................B5 Sports.........................B1,B7-8
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Photo by Robin Lowe
Diboll Coach Terry Johnson gives a congratulatory fist bump to Lumberjack player Gunner Horton. Johnson is set to retire as a teacher/ coach at the end of the school year, but the Lumberjacks have other plans for him. The Lumberjacks play for the Region III-3A title in a bestof-three series against Silsbee, beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday at the University of Houston. They continue the series at 3 p.m. Saturday at Rice University in Houston.
See RETIRE, P. A9
Fannon is DHS Teacher of Year Moving to Tennessee BURLON WILKERSON office@dibollfreepress.com
Kara Fannon’s entry into the world of education as a teacher was rough. The 2013 Teacher of the Year for Diboll High School was recog-
nized at the end-of-year Renaissance Academic Banquet. But she readily admits that developing as a teacher has been an ongoing process which includes some eye-opening experiences. “I remember crying at the end of my first day because I had asked a student to read,” said Fannon. “The student burst into tears because she could not. I felt horrible for asking her to and embarrassing her, but I was also shocked because I had never
realized there were high school students who could not read.” That first year Fannon said she also realized that all students do not learn at the same speed or in the same manner. But she feels that it is her duty to meet the educational needs of the highest-performing students, the lowest-performing students, and all those in between. Fannon has taught for eight years, See TEACHER, P. A10
Popular former DHS student dies in wreck A young Diboll woman died at the scene of a two-vehicle wreck at FM 2021 and Highway 69 near Huntington. Leah McDonald, 18, was a passenger in a 2006 Toyota Camry driven by Nolan Ryan Ellingburg, 20, also of Diboll. Ellingburg was transported by helicopter to a Tyler hospital. His condition was unknown as of press time. According to reports, Ellingburg pulled out from FM 2021 onto Highway 69 and was struck by a Chevrolet pickup driven by Robert Lee Tarber of Alto. Tarve, of Alto, and a 5-year-old relative were taken to a Lufkin Hospital. Both were treated and released. McDonald was liked by many, as evidenced by posts to her Facebook page and comments from teachers. “Leah was a pleasure to have in class,” said Donna Cassels, a teacher at Diboll High School. “She had a beautiful
smile and was a very sweet young lady. She will be missed by many.” McDonald was currently employed at Sonic Drive-In in Diboll. She is survived by her 2-year-old son, Landon, and his father, Aaron Harris; her parents, Kenneth and Debi McDonald of Diboll; sister and brother-in-law, Melissa and Keith Suttle; grandparents, Luther and Helen Bolenbarker of Diboll; grandmother, Nell McDonald of Pasadena; and numerous other family members and friends. McDonald’s services will be at Gipson Funeral Home with visitation being held on Friday night from 6 to 8 p.m. and funeral services on Saturday at 1 p.m. Donations can be made to the Diboll ISD Red/White Scholarship Fund in her memory. The Red/White Scholarship is available to all Diboll High School and Stubblefield graduates. For more infor-
McDonald
mation on the Red/White Scholarship contact Diboll ISD at 936-829-4718 or 215 N. Temple Drive, Diboll, TX 75941. A special Facebook page has been set up for her as well: https://www.facebook. com/InMemoryOfLeahMarieMcdonald
Hines
Skipper is 2013 DHS Student of the Year
BURLON WILKERSON office@dibollfreepress.com
Diboll’s Student of the Year doesn’t have many leisure activities. And it’s easy to see why after going down the list of her school, club and volunteer efforts. She simply doesn’t Skipper have time to just lounge around. Jessica Skipper received the Student of the Year award at this year’s DHS Academic Banquet. She has been a student in the Diboll schools since moving from Houston after third grade. Her family consists of her mother, Kelley Skipper, her grandmother, Carmeleta Gray, and her brother, Jonathan Walsh. “The award was the biggest honor ever,” Skipper said. “It’s the biggest thing at the banquet. They always save it until last, and it’s very exciting.” Even though she is one of the very highest ranking students in this year’s senior class, Skipper indicated that she did not expect that she would receive the award. “Everybody started looking at me when they were reading the activities and accomplishments,” she said. A description of Skipper’s various activities would fill quite a bit of space. She has been in National Honor Society for two years, has participated in FFA four years, is a Drug-Free All Star, and has been involved in S.M.A.S.H., Interact Club, Spanish Club, and FCCLA (Family Community Career Leaders of America). Skipper has also been in band since sixth grade and has been drum major for the last two years. She plays trumpet and says she will probably continue to pursue music as a hobby in the future. “Some of my favorite activities in school have involved band and FFA trips,” Skipper said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to go to different colleges and competing in various contests.” Her involvement in FFA has had her participating in all kinds of events including leadership, demonstrations, speaking and quizzing. As a volunteer, Skipper has also stayed very busy. See STUDENT, P. A8
A2 * www.DibollFreePress.com
DHS CLASS OF 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
DHS grads to walk Zachary Adams
Austin Alvarez
Zane Blount
Cassidy Bradley
Tanika Bray
Niya Bryant
Zakara Burrell
Manuela Carrillo
Sergio Castillo
Hector Chavarria
Hollie Cole
Norah Coleman
Jason Cook
Tyler Crager
Joel DeJesus
Austin Dubose
Tessa Enriquez
Ivan Escobedo
Matthew Faircloth
James Fisher
Jose Flores
Michael Gaitan
Logan Gilbert
Cassity Glass
Rubi Gonzalez
Alexis Gordon
Christopher Green
Gilbert Grimaldo
Miguel Gudino
Jacob Hale
Honoring Our Employees’ Children
Since 1965, the Lufkin Industries Foundation has awarded more than $6,417,200 in scholarships to dependent children of Lufkin Industries employees.
2013 Scholarship recipients and their parents Hannah Bennett....................Stephen Bennett Brent Berry............................David Berry Zari Brown ............................Ronald Brown Jacqueline Bryant ..................Larry Cordova Hannah Cain ........................Milton Gary Spivey Joseph Callaway ....................Robert Callaway Jonah Campbell ....................Brent Grider Carlos Castro ........................Zeferino Castro Maggie Doyle ........................David Doyle Hayley Foster ........................Michael Foster Devin Horton ......................Karen and Bruce Horton Brooke Johnson .....................Mickey Johnson Jason Lee ...............................Dennis Lee Jonathan Leubner ..................Wayne Leubner Natalie Miller ........................Mike Miller Brandon Morgan ...................Valerie Morgan
Christian Murrey...................Paul Deaton Moriah Phillips .....................Jose Rojo Desiderio Ramirez .................Jesus R. Bosquez Kelsey K. Reeves ....................Douglas L. Reeves Chris Reynolds ......................Steve Reynolds Mackenzie Rhodes ................James Paulette, Jr. Chelsea Roebuck ...................Ronald K. Roebuck Amanda Rosales ....................Amado Rosales Hannah Shepherd .................Joe Henry Smith, Jr. Jarvis Shepherd ......................Donavan Shepherd Audrey Staten ........................Dale Staten Briana Stokley .......................Albert Stokley Emily Tyler .........................JoAnn Tyler Austin Whitaker ...................Allen Whitaker Ebonie Williams ...................Christopher Galloway
The Energy Flows Through Us ÂŽ
Thursday, May 30, 2013
DHS CLASS OF 2013
www.dibollfreepress.com * A3
Heather Hargis
Devin Hawk
Travis Hawthorne
Hillary Hayden
Leslie Hendrix
Anabel Hernandez
Angel Hernandez
Jasmin Hernandez
Robert Hewett
Zachary Hobbs
Stephanie Holt
Edwin Hurtado
Elizabeth James
Ashley Janes
Rodolfo Jasso
Rodrigo Jiminez
Benjamin Johnson
Kevin Jordan
Zachary Joseph
Robert Lee
Breanna Lester
Sade Levias
Robert Lewis
Teresa Limon
A4 * www.DibollFreePress.com
DHS CLASS OF 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Aimme Lopez
Jay Lowe
Shelley Maddox
Jorge Magallan
Alan Martinez
J.W. Mettlen III
Hilario Miranda
Heriberto Montalvo
Abigail Moreno
Paige Morgan
Whitney Morin
Joshua Murry
Tarryn Oliver
Myra Olvera
Emily Parish
Shaunak Patel
Brishoya Phipps
Karah Phipps
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DHS CLASS OF 2013
www.dibollfreepress.com * A5
Cody Purvis
Cristina Ramos
Luis Ramos
Lorena Rangel
Justin Redd
Kelsey Reeves
Armando Reyna Jr.
Nathan Reynolds
Eduardo Riojas
Juan Robles
Christian Sarmiento
Quintoryerus Sawyer
Jonathan Serrato
Jorge Serratos Jr.
Hannah Shepherd
Jarvis Shepherd
Courtney Shivers
Dustin Shupak
Cristen Simmons
Jessica Skipper
Donald Stancomb
Jacob Stifle
Audrey Tamez
Isabella Tamez
Angelina Casualty Insurance Agency Hadley Taylor
Carlos Teal
Lindsey Tolly
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Michaela Wagner
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A6 * www.dibollfreepress.com
DHS CLASS OF 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Senior Awards Night -- Scholarship winners
Angelina College Challenge Award Angelina County Bar Assoc.
Angelina County Youth Fair
Chris Gee AKA Superman Memorial Billie Whitaker Endowment $1,000 each for Christina Ramos and Zachary Hobbs. Scholarship to Angelina College
Chuck Arnold Memorial Scholarship
$1,500 each for Whitney Morin, Hannah Shepherd, Myra Olevera, Emily Parish, Trey Mettlen, Zachary Adams and Logan Gilbert.
Sonny Patel, $1,000 and Hollie Cole, $300; Shelly Maddox, $300.
$1,000 each for Brishoya Phipps and Zachary Adams.
$1,000 each for Jessica Skipper and Hollie Cole.
$1,000 each for Jessica Skipper, Hollie Cole and Shelly Maddox, $1,000.
Congratulations 2013 Graduates!
Gary & Susie Martel
Thank you boys for the memories! Love, the Lowe family
Congrats! Sergio Castillo We Love You!
We look at you and can’t believe how fast the time has went, for just yesterday I dropped you off and to Kindergarten you went. We love you, Whitney.
Dad, Mom, Giselle & Daniel
Momma, Daddy & Briana
Way to go 2013 Grads! Come see us when you’re ready to buy!
www.poulands.com 829-4040 • 611 N. Temple• Diboll
Brody, As you graduate, may the memories of the things you’ve accomplished, the friends you’ve made, and the good times you’ve shared fill you with pride on this special day. As you step into a future bright with hope and opportunity, may Brody Wilder each new success you experience continue to bring you experience continue to bring you all the happiness you deserve.
AUDREY JANELL SENIOR 2013 Words can’t begin to express how very proud you have made us. You have filled our hearts with so much love, happiness and great memories we will cherish forever. Graduation is not the end of the road, it’s the beginning. We look forward to sharing many more milestones with you. Congratulations princess we love you, -- Momma, Pop, Dyl & Chase
Way to go Class of 2013!
Congratulations, We Love You, Momma, Pappa, Charlie, Hannah & Cassidy
Saluting All
2013
Graduates Trinity Mission
Congratulations CLASS OF 2013
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900 S. Temple Diboll, TX 75941 936-829-5501
(936) 829-4721 | 104 N. Temple Blvd. | Diboll | fbtet.com
DHS CLASS OF 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Communities Cinco de Mayo Scholarship
www.dibollfreepress.com * A7
$500 each for Austin Dubose and Carlos Teal.
Diboll HS Alumni Assoc. Dixie Denman Discipler Cook Memorial Austin Dubose, $300.
Diboll Day 2012 Queen Candidate
Diboll 4-H
Diboll HS Alumni Assoc. - Sueña
Diboll HS Alumni Diboll HS Alumni Assoc. - Joe C. Assoc. - Sean and Beth Denman Hendrick
Consolidated Communications
Austin Dubose, $300.
Lorena Rangel, 2,000; $1,000 each for Jessica Skipper; Sonny Patel; Shelly Maddox; Michael Gaitan; Luis Plascencia; and Cristina Ramos.
Courtney Shivers, $3,000; Isabella Tamez, $2,000; Emily Parish, $4,000; and Audrey Tamez, $2,500.
Diboll Classroom Teachers Assoc.
Dillon Mason, $1,000.
$500 for Carlos Teal and Jose Flores
Jose Flores, $500.
Diboll HS Alumni Assoc.
Shelly Maddox, $1,000.
$500 each for Zachary Hobbs and Austin Dubose.
Diboll HS Band Booster
$4,500 each for Hollie Cole and Jessica Skipper.
Diboll HS Alumni Assoc. Joseph Hambrick Memorial Emily Parish, $1,000.
Diboll PTSA
$450 each for Zachary Hobbs and Lorena Rangel.
Diboll Housing Authority Sade Levias, $1,000
Pumpkin Patch Pre-School 211 Morris Road Diboll, Texas 75941 936-829-2933
NOW ENROLLING
BIRTH – 10 YRS / 6:45am till 5:45pm
Sam Houston Electric Coop
Shelly Maddox, $3,000.
Call for Teacher Discounts Sign up now for our summer program Limited space available
Owner: Amy Morris- Stringer Director: Christi Hurley Salmasi
Congraulations! Class of 2013
Sergio Castillo, $1,000
Diboll HS Dazzler
Oliver Tarryn, $250; Whitney Morin, $225; and Chasity Walker, $300.
Congratulations on your High School Graduation!!! Zach Joseph We are proud of you!!!! Love, Dad, Mom & Josh
A8 * Thursday, May 23, 2013
DHS CLASS OF 2013
Diboll Jackbackers
$250 each for Jay Lowe, Zane Blount, Seth Johnson, Chassity Walker and Jacob Stifle.
7356
Diboll Youth Basketball
$450 each for Zakara Burrell, Tarryn Oliver, Carlos Lewis, Sade Levias, Chassity Walker.
Emilie Oates
asdfasdfasadfsd.
Jose Flores, $1,000.
Kiwanis Club of Lufkin, Texas Myra Olvera, $500.
Joe C. and Beth Denman Scholarship to Angelina College
Independence Community College
$500 each for Whitney Morin, Zachary Adams, Myra Olevera, Jose Flores and Tessa Enriquez.
Chassity Walker, $15,500.
Linebarger, Goggan Lufkin Industries Foundation each for Kelsey Reeves, Hannah Shepherd and Blair and Sampson, LLP $8,000 Jarvis Shepherd.. Hannah Shepherd, $500.
Horace and Beth Stubblefield
$8,000 each for Hollie Cole, Lorena Rangel and Jessica Skipper.
SFASU Academic
$12,000 each for Cassidy Bradley and Edwin Hurtado.
Texas Hazzlewood Legacy Act
$50,000 each for Hollie Cole, Jason Cook, Matthew Faircloth, Logan Gilbert, Carlos Lewis, Morgan Paige, Tarryn Oliver and Emily Parish.
Management & Training Corporation NROTC Zane Blount, $750.
www.dibollfreepress.com
Pineywoods Trailriding Assoc.
Lorena Rangel, $150,000.
$1,000 each for Niya Bryant and Jarvis Shepherd.
STUDENT Cont’d
Montgomery GI Bill/Post 911 Caul Reynolds, $83,000
GRADS Cont’d
ploma you receive today should not be thought of as a reward, but rather an opportunity, a commitment, an obligation to go forward and continue the life-long process of learning. The elements you have learned
New Breed Trailride Assoc. Jarvis Shepherd, $1,000.
at Diboll High School should now be forged into that special compound we call excellence. Excellence is the antidote to racism, sexism and nepotism. “Someone once said, ‘The key
Congratulations Class of 2013!
to success is hard work and dedication.’ I have found that the harder you work, the more successful you become. You ask what is success? Success is when opportunity meets preparation.”
Pizza * Pizza * Pizza * Pizza
We’re proud of you!
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1302 Brown St. Diboll, Texas 75941
936-829-0149 Cell 936-675-3567
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For example, the Drug-Free All Stars have participated in the Walk for Alzheimer’s, passed out water at the Walk Across Texas event, produced numerous public service announcements for radio, and carried out the Sticker Shock campaign against underage drinking. One of the activities that has made a huge impact on Skipper’s life was originally initiated by her church. Members were recruited to adopt an elderly person who was physically unable to attend services and provide them assistance and companionship. “I started when I was in junior high taking elements of communion to a lady,” said Skipper. “The church actually abandoned the program after a year, but I continued on my own. After a time, the lady asked me if I could mow her grass. Then, I began washing dishes. Then, it was doing some house-cleaning. Eventually I was spending a great deal of time helping her. My mother was glad when I was old enough to get my drivers’ license so that she didn’t have to drive me there all the time.” Skipper continued her
service until her sophomore year when the lady died. “She was the first one I had ever lost who was close to me, and it had a big effect on my life,” she said. Besides band, Skipper’s favorite course is math. And she said that history teacher Terry Johnson has been a strong influence on her. “He’s a good teacher, but I heard him share his testimony one year at church camp, and it changed my life,” she said. Skipper’s plans for the future include attending Texas A&M University where she will major in biomedical science. She plans to follow that by becoming a medical doctor. “I haven’t settled on a particular specialization yet, but I hope I can come back to this area to practice,” she said. Skipper says that she couldn’t have achieved anything she has done without the help of God. Also, she acknowledges the support and the “push” from her mother. Her advice to other students is, “Anything you find to do, do it with all your might.’ That’s the motto I’ve tried to live by.”
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Thursday, May 30, 2013
DHS CLASS OF 2013
Diboll ISD Red & White
Rotary Club
17 Recipents @ $156.05 each -- $2,652.85
Texas A&M Club
$250 each for Jessica Skipper and Hollie Cole.
Texas A&M Opportunity
Hollie Cole, $1,000; Jessica Skipper, $4,000.
www.dibollfreepress.com * A9
$500 each for Lorena Rangel and Kelsey Reeves.
T.L.L. Temple Foundation Century Scholar
S’western Expo and Livestock Show Dillon Mason, $500.
Texas State University Bear Cat Peltier Chevrolet Promise Zane Blount, $35,200.
Zachary Hobbs, $1,000.
Cassidy Bradley, $1,300.
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack Cassidy Bradley, $2,900.
National Merit
Cassidy Bradley, $8,000
Top 10 Percent THECB SFASU Cassidy Bradley, $1,500.
Texas Tech Presidents
University of Texas at Austin TEXAS
Texas Tech Top Ten
University of Texas at Austin Top Ten
Sonny Patel, $12,000.
Isabella Tamez, $5,000
Sonny Patel, $1,500.
Isabella Tamez, $1,500.
LB Harrall Memorial Kelsey Reeves, $178.
Lufkin Industries Union Kelsey Reeves, $1,000.
UMHB Endowment Kelsey Reeves, $2,822
UMHB Honors
Kelsey Reeves, $20,000.
Taco Casa
$500 each for Austin Dubose and Zakara Burrell.
UMHB Leadership Kelsey Reeves, $8,000.
Area Go Texan Scholarship
Hispanic Scholarship fund ES EL MOMENTO
Christ Church
Lufkin Texas Ex’s
Jessica Skipper, $18,000. Jessica Skipper, $100.
Drug Free All-Star
Lorena Rangel, $5,000. Lorena Rangel, $1,000.
Jessica Skipper, $500
Other Scholarship winners
Jessica Skipper, $1,000.
DAR Good Citizen Award Seth Johnson
Jessica Skipper, $1,500.
Diboll Pilot Club Scholarship Michael Gaitan, $300.
Jessica Skipper, $1,500.
Imagine America Scholarship Miguel Gudino, $1,000
Journey Magazine Junior League of Lufkin Texas A&M University Top Ten The Terry Foundation Jessica Skipper, $38,500.
Jacksonville College Soccer Scholarship Cristina Ramos, $10,000. GI Bill Education Assistance/Air Force Heather Hargis, $85,000.
STUDENT Cont’d Sam Houston State University. He said history was always interesting to him, so he chose that as his minor. “I try to concentrate on why students need to appreciate history,” he said. “I get them talking about their families and realizing that is a form of history. This helps them make connections to things they know about and makes history more real for them.” Before coming to Diboll, Johnson was at Dekalb High School for several years where he taught Government and Economics. Prior to that he taught one year at Central High School and did construction and offshore work for a while. Johnson has demonstrated his belief in the importance of family connections by his own behavior. “I’ve turned down several coaching jobs in order to keep my children here so they would be around their grandparents,” he said. “I wanted them to have that experience.” Johnson and his wife, Manonne, have four children, one of whom is deceased. Samantha is in her last year of law school. Chance graduated from East Texas Baptist University and has been substituting and helping coach at Diboll this year and will coach at Livingston next school year. Seth will graduate high school this month and major in law enforcement at Sam Houston State University. When asked about unique experiences in teaching, Johnson said he
couldn’t immediately think of anything in particular. “You change kids every year, but they’re still the same,” he replied. “However, I will say that they won’t take discipline from you unless they know you love them.” Use of technology is the biggest change Johnson has seen in education. “Everybody in the classroom can now access the Internet,” he said. “I can ask students a question and tell them to find the answer, and they can look it up on their phone.” Johnson said he tells aspiring teachers and coaches that there’s a lot more to it than what one is taught in college. There are many hours and much effort involved other than just the classroom time. He would advise a person to never shirk a job. “Do every job the best you can and give it a little more than you have to,” he said. Retirement will coincide with the high school graduation of Johnson’s youngest son. He said he had indicated to his wife when he started that he would stop when he reached 30 years. However, that doesn’t mean that Johnson will stop working. He has worked in construction with his father-in-law during past summers and plans to continue that practice this summer. “We’ll see where it leads,” he said. “I know that the Lord will open doors, and I’ll try to walk through them.”
Stacy Smith Memorial Scholarship D.J. Stancomb, $500. T.L.L. Temple Foundation Century Scholar Award to Angelina College Luis Plascencia, $2,000. Universal Technical Institute Miguel Gudino, $1,000.
Texas Top Teen Chef/Food Net Courtney Shivers, $4,000.
Dan Lenderman Memorial Courtney Shivers, $1,000
Diboll HS Alumni Assoc. Class of ’69 Courtney Shivers, $300.
Art Institute GPA
Courtney Shivers, $5,525.
University of Texas @ Dallas Top Ten Scholarship Michaela Wagner, $1,500.00. University of Texas @ Dallas Scholarship Grant Michaela Wagner, $10,500. Volunteer Fire Dept. $500 each for Cassity Glass, Austin Alvarez and Jason Cook.
The Diboll Business Assoc.
Salutes you!
Thursday, May 30, 2013 TEACHER Cont’d
all in Diboll. Her primary assignments have been Speech, Journalism, and Theatre. The Journalism courses have included two years as school newspaper adviser and five years as yearbook adviser. Speech and Yearbook have been her favorite courses. “Before I went to college, I planned to enter the field of psychology,” said Fannon, a graduate of Pine Tree High School in Longview. “But after taking some of those courses, I realized that was not what I really wanted, and was drawn instead to television work.” She received a Bachelor of Arts in Radio/TV with a minor in Speech Communication from Stephen F. Austin State University. When she arranged to get a teaching certification, she realized that she actually had more hours in Speech. “I didn’t want to do Radio because I didn’t want to have the instructor who taught the practicum (the TV practicum had been suspended for renovation), so I got special permission to do an extra Speech practicum in its place,” she said. After graduation from SFA, Fannon felt a call to a religious ministry for teens or young adults. She moved to Fort Worth to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary where she again intended to focus on psychology. But after realizing the number of years that would be required for that kind of degree, she opted instead to obtain a Master of Arts in Religious Education. Fannon married Gary, who was also a student at SWBTS, and she worked in retail for 13 years. When they moved to Diboll for him to pastor First Baptist Church, she began her teaching career. They have two children, Walker, who is 14, and Olivia, who is 12. In addition to her teaching load, Fannon has been
busy with many extracurricular school activities. Some of those have included directing the One Act Play, overseeing the yearbook publication, and coaching UIL Journalism events as well as Current Events, Ready Writing, and Prose and Poetry Interpretation. She has also been a prom volunteer, and the “unofficial” school photographer and the person who uploads pictures to the school website. “I’ve been blessed to have worked with teachers in my first few years who gave me a wealth of knowledge,” Fannon said. Teachers on each campus nominate and then elect the Teacher of the Year each year. “Principal Lopez and I have joked that for several years I have been in the top three and have never won,” she laughed. “But I just consider it an honor to be in the running with those who have been nominated.” Fannon urges students to never “burn a bridge.” She believes that we never know when we may need something large or small that can only come from those in our past. “Teachers can’t say they don’t learn from students,” Fannon said. “Students might say something that we haven’t verbalized, or they sometimes come up with things we simply have not considered.” Fannon and her family will be moving this summer to Chattanooga, Tenn., where her son has the opportunity to enroll in the prep school his father and uncle both attended. The family feels that they need to take advantage of the opening. Fannon plans to continue teaching. In her philosophy of education statement on her Teacher of the Year nomination form, she wrote: “If one student chooses to learn or stay enrolled in school because of something I say or do, then all of the time, effort, and energy is worth it.”
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