“Our children are in some good hands” is the message that resonated when the eight Excellence in Education awardees to be honored at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 23rd annual 2010 Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala were named.
Dr. Celeste A. Adams, Michael Blackshear, Sheandra P. Brown, Florida M. Cowley, Bruce Green, Carole Johnson, Matthew McCallum and Sybil Selfe will be recognized on Friday, Sept. 17 at America’s Center.
More extended profiles of these eight awardees will appear in the Sept. 16 special Salute to Excellence in Education edition of The American.
Dr. Celeste A. Adams
Dr. Celeste A. Adams is an English teacher at Riverview Gardens High School who worked all the way up to a doctorate in general education from Capella University.
Throughout, Adams was motivated by the memory of a sister who died when she was in high school.
“As I moved through my educational milestones,” Adams said, “I thought, ‘My sister didn’t live to do this.’”
Inspired by her own experience of tragedy, she began her career in education teaching juvenile offenders. “That’s where I fell in love with teaching at-risk students,” Adams said.
At Riverview Gardens, she is Communications Arts Department chair and teaches English and Honors Literature. She also leads students outside of class.
She said, “We do a mentoring program for African-American males that ranges from counseling, academic tutoring, African drumming and a rites of passage.”
Michael Blackshear
Michael Blackshear has spent 29 years as an educator, athletic director and administrator and is currently the principal of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School.
Cardinal Ritter is a predominately African-American Catholic school where 98 percent of graduating students are accepted to college.
He grew up in a large, supportive family that taught him to value both education and faith. He said, “They instilled a set of core values including developing a strong work ethic, being responsible and being people of faith.”
With a master’s degree at Saint Louis University, he is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership from Lindenwood.
Ironically, he has a particular weakness as a student to thank for his career path.
“My original aspiration was to be a mechanical engineer. Fortunately, I did not have a strong enough math background,” Blackshear said.
“I’m happy that God pointed me in this direction.”
Sheandra P. Brown
Sheandra P. Brown is beginning her 14th year at Woodland Elementary School in the Jennings School District, teaching first and second grade.
Brown was born and raised in St. Louis. Both her parents graduated from high school, but she was the first person in her immediate family to graduate from college.
“They always reinforced that with education you can go far,” she said of her parents, who tutored her.
From her parents and other early teachers, she developed her style: kind, but discplined. “Be very nice, but when it comes to education it’s time for work,” she said.
Now she holds a masters in education degree from UMSL while pursuing two other advanced degrees, including a doctorate in philosophy.
She said, “I tell my students if they keep working at a goal, it can be accomplished.”
Florida M. Cowley
Florida M. Cowley thought she had retired from teaching in 2007 after more than three decades with St. Louis Public Schools.
Then, like a star athlete, she came out of retirement for the 2008-2009 school year to serve as math coach at Fairview Intermediate Middle School, then stayed on one more year to teach at Jennings Alternative High School.
“Working with that group of young people who had lost their drive to succeed, the engagement opportunities were astounding,” Cowley said.
Cowley was raised in the St. Louis Public School district after arriving in St. Louis city from El Dorado, Arkansas at the age of nine.
She said, “I was born to be an urban educator.”
Now, she is officially retired again – as far as she knows.
Bruce Green
Bruce Green is beginning his second year as principal of Carnahan High School of the Future. Green is also the assistant pastor of Temple of God Missionary Baptist Church.
After serving as a substitute teacher with the St. Louis Public Schools for several years, Green became a full-time math teacher at Charles Sumner High School where he worked for five years. Green taught at Carnahan High School only one semester before becoming the assistant principal at the middle school.
“The students were enlightened and I was enlightened. It was almost as if teaching came naturally,” Green said.
“I had one student who said that ‘I come to school because I know you’re here.’”
Carole Johnson
Carole Johnson recently retired as the principal of Bryan Hill Elementary School.
Leading the school, she showed skill and savvy in developing strong community partnerships with Metropolis St. Louis, AmeriCorps, Millstone-Bangert, Citi and other corporations.
She became a principal after more than 20 years as a St. Louis Public Schools resource teacher. She also earned a master’s degree in special education.
Johnson believes the city public schools have been an anchor in the community for a long time.
“I think our children are in need of a safe place where they can trust the adults and have the school working closely with the family,”she said.
Johnson credits her mother with inspiring her in teaching, because it is an opportunity that was denied her mother by circumstance.
Johnson said, “She grew up in the Depression, and she really would have liked to be a teacher.”
Matthew McCallum
Matthew McCallum just began his seventh year as a teacher in the East St. Louis Public School District 189, where he is the only male kindergarten teacher.
McCallum finds that this grade is a special grade to teach.
“Everything is new to them, and they are excited about learning, McCallum said.
“And for some of them it is the first time being away from home and being with other kids.”
McCallum holds a master’s degree in elementary education and has been active in encouraging voter participation and raising funds for relief work.
Growing up in Kankakee, Illinois, McCallum lived with his mother, who inspired him to work hard and achieve his goals.
He said, “Throughout all of my triumphs and disappointments, trials and tribulations my family has been there for me.”
Sybil Selfe
Sybil Selfe retired this year as the principal of St. Louis Catholic Academy.
“Principal Selfe knew all the kids by name,” said Roz Robinson, a parent. “She was in tune with them and knew their favorite songs and their favorite dances. She encouraged them to be spiritual and also to be a respectful regarding their behavior and attire.”
One year, Selfe organized a school project to release a school CD of spiritual songs. The school’s Glory and Honor CD was sold as a way to raise money to ease the burden of students’ tuition costs.
Selfe battles Lupus, a debilitating illness, and uses a motor-operated chair to get around. Even with these hurdles, she led the school with kindness and dignity.
“At first it was trying for her, but she was determined,” her assistant Caroline Shaw-Watts said. “She gave it all she had.”
Tickets for the Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala, held Sept. 17 at America’s Center, are available by calling 314-533-8000. General seating tickets are $85, Corporate/VIP tickets are $150. Tables of 10 are available.
