Posted on December 11, 2014.
By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Millington Education Foundation member Beth Hearn shares a laugh with her daughter, E.A. Harrold teacher, Lauren Mabry because of their matching outfits prior to the grant giveaway in the Millington Central High School Library. Both women said it was a total coincidence of them appearing in identical clothes. But the duo’s involvement in the Grant Ceremony for Millington Municipal Schools wasn’t a coincidence. Mabry was there as one of 22 grant winners from the four schools from money raised by Hearn and the other members of the Millington Education Foundation.
E.A. Harrold
Millington Mayor Terry Jones and Millington Superintendent Dr. David Roper
Millington Central High School
Millington Elementary School
Millington Middle School
As it was becoming a reality that Millington would have its own school system last year, a group assembled to pump life back into the Millington Education Foundation. The 12 members of the revamped Millington Education Foundation set out on a mission to promote Millington Municipal Schools, get the community involved in supporting the schools financially and give that money back to Millington Central High School, Millington Elementary School, E.A. Harrold and Millington Middle School. Last Thursday in the MCHS Library several Millington School Board members, city officials including Mayor Terry Jones and Millington Superintendent Dr. David Roper attended the first MEF Grant Ceremony. The event celebrated the Foundation’s awarding of 22 grants between the four schools totaling $11,493.95. One of the recipients was MCHS FCCLA teacher Karol Benfield. “I’m honored to be here receiving a grant,” she said. “It was pretty easy process. We had to take pictures of what we do. It’s a pretty great grant to get. I’m excited as well as other teachers. “My money is going toward, it’s kind of comical, but electric babies to teach child development,” Benfield added. “We’re buying supplies for those as well as computer equipment.” Another MCHS teacher receiving a grant is Marshonn Calvin for his MCHS Broadcasting program. Calvin’s award-winning program feature projects like Trojan TV. Initial plans are to set up more television in the school to broadcast student-made program and get the student involved in community features. Calvin’s ideas align with the mission of MEF. The mission of the Millington Education Foundation to generate and distribute resources to benefit all Millington schools by enriching, maintaining and expanding programs needed to meet the schools stated mission of excellence in education. The group who helped bring the grants to life are MEF members Cary Vaughn (president), Chuck Hurt Jr. (vice president), Beth Hearn (treasurer), Rosie Crawford (secretary), Sam Cox, Leanna Dagen, Rebecca Fears, Mark Healy, Karla Hornsby, Carole McCullough, Karroll Warberg and Rosaline Banks. The leaders of the foundation at that time dreamed of this day as they lay the groundwork and began collecting the needed resources. The funding for these grants was made possible through the generous contributions from business leaders and individual contributors of our community. The hope of the foundation is that these funds will support and enable teachers to continue to positively engage students. Benfield said she appreciates the work of all involved making this grant possible for her classes. “I would like to thank all the sponsors, those who donated the money and members of the Education Foundation,” she concluded. “Just thank you, thank you and thank you. It made our burden for financial benefits for the children so much better for me as a teacher and other teachers too. It’s a great program. I feel very humbled and honored by it.”
The Foundation is a community effort. Anyone who is interested may learn more about MEF by visiting www.millingtoneducationfoundation.org
