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Ollie Smith Among Five Percent of National Teachers to be Included in Who's Who Among American Teachers in 1999 PENDLETON --- A nomination form asking for the name of the teacher who made a difference in your life prompted Trish Davis to think of her good friend and mentor, Ollie Smith, a counselor at Tri-County Technical College. "She immediately came to mind, and I nominated her," said Mrs. Davis, of Central, who was a participant in the Homemakers and Single Parents (HASP) program that Mrs. Smith has led since joining the College in 1985. Since then the HASP organization at T ri-County Tech has provided financial and emotional support to around 1,200 men and women who might otherwise not have had the opportunity to pursue an education. HASP helps homemakers, single parents and single pregnant women acquire the skills training and counseling they need to become self-supporting and to enter the workforce. Mrs. Davis's nomination was among the winners, and Mrs. Smith, formerly of Westminster, was honored with a plaque Monday, placing her among a select five percent of national teachers to be included in the fifth edition of Who's Who Among American Teache rs in 1999. High school and college students who have been cited for academic excellence in Who's Who Among American High School Students or the National Dean's List were invited to nominate one teacher from their entire academic experience. Mrs. Smith provides one of the College's most valuable student services, helping homemakers and single parents cope with the pressures of continuing their education while taking care of a family and rearing their children. Students often face difficult pressures that threaten their ability to finish college. Others, like Davis, are returning to school after an absence of around 20 years. "After spending years as a homemaker and mother, I was apprehensive about returning to school," said Mrs. Davis, who took classes at Tri-County and transferred to Greenville Technical College where she earned an occupational therapy assistant degree thi s year. She is currently employed as a rehab technician at Clemson Sports Medicine and will take the occupational therapy board exam in March. "HASP was an opportunity for support, a good morale builder," said Mrs. Davis. "It built up my confidence about pursuing a degree. Ollie's door is always open. She gives good advice and helps these women, many of whom are young, single parents, to prioritize their time. Ollie meets their personal needs, along with their academic needs." "On many occasions, Ollie and I have had conversations about her position here, and time and time again, I've said, it's not a job, it's a ministry," said James Williams, dean of students at Tri-County. "You can't pay an individual to do the things she 's doing with the kind of commitment and depth of heart with which she carries her work out." "Ollie has experienced some of the heartaches and problems that her students are now experiencing," says Glenn Hellenga, director of counseling at Tri-County. "She knows what it's like to cope with tragedy. She's made it, and she's now helping our stu dents to move ahead with their lives in the face of adversity." Mrs. Smith herself returned to college in the early 80's when her first husband became seriously ill. "The first step is the hardest," she says. She went on to enter Tri-County and transferred to Central Wesleyan College where she earned an undergradu ate degree. She later earned a graduate degree in counseling from Clemson University. She is a nationally certified counselor and a charter member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Mrs. Smith and her husband, Ernest, reside in Lavonia, Georgia. |
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Oconee