Pearson ‘49 memorializes family’s passion for education through scholarships
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rmed with a home economics degree from the College of Education, Sue Atchison Pearson began in 1949 a teaching career that included teaching fifth grade in Phenix City, Ala., Columbus, Ga., and Jefferson City, Ala. She went from teaching children to applying home economic skills in demonstrating appliances for the gas company. She promoted gas products in every venue from cooking schools to private homes. This allowed her to stay home with her son, John, until he started seventh grade. She renewed her teaching certificate and began teaching fifth grade until her retirement. A lifelong supporter of education, Pearson has established endowed scholarships in the College of Education, as well as AU’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. Recent contributions allow both endowments to immediately recognize student achievement, while planned gifts committed by Pearson to the university will provide for even greater assistance later.
“It is the highlight of my year to interact with the students,” she continued. “I have been very pleased with the students who have received the scholarships and I know my mom would have been pleased.”
Pearson also created the Rose Eugene Atchison Endowed Scholarship in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences in honor of her father. This scholarship supports forestry students who are active in the community and school organizations. She describes her father Rose Eugene as a man with determination, strong work ethic and a love of children. Sue and her husband Jack H. Pearson ‘49 (accountancy) also established a scholarship at the University of Alabama, in memory of their son John Pearson, who passed away in 1976.
In the College of Education, the Hester Wear Atchison Endowed Scholarship, created by Pearson and her niece Kay Hathaway Jones ‘62 (accountancy), honors the memory of Hester Atchison—Sue’s mother and Kay’s grandmother. Atchison, a strong and spiritual woman, was gifted musically with a beautiful voice and a deep belief in education. This scholarship provides support for students in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Teaching. “My parents were avid supporters of education,” Pearson said. “They encouraged all of their children to attend college. I believe their passion for education was passed on to me.
Malone Family Foundation grants $304,975 to math ed The Auburn University Foundation has received a gift of $304,975 from the Malone Family Foundation of Dothan Alabama to fund a project entitled “Improving Grades 6-12 Mathematics Education in East Alabama Using Technology” directed by Drs. Marilyn Strutchens and W. Gary Martin, professors of math education in the College of Education. This project will enhance the activities of the TEAMMath project, a unique partnership that includes Auburn University’s College of Education and College of Sciences and Mathematics, Tuskegee University and 15 school districts in East Alabama, working together to improve mathematics education in east Alabama. Currently in its fourth year of a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s Math and Science Partnership program, TEAM-Math has made great strides in improving student scores on state-mandated achievement tests. The gift will provide participating schools state-of-the-art mathematics software designed to enhance student learning of math as well as graphing calculators, resources that the schools
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frequently cannot afford. It also provides intensive preparation for the teachers in effectively using the technology. “The Malone Family Foundation is delighted to partner with Auburn University and TEAM-Math to promote mathematics education in East Alabama,” said Alyson Malone of the Malone Family Foundation. “We are dedicated to funding programs we believe will help improve the education of the children and young adults of Alabama, thus giving them better opportunities for success in life. TEAM-Math has worked diligently to devise a program aimed at improving mathematics programs in East Alabama, and we look forward to seeing the results of this endeavor.”