2018 winners of the annual Mike
Eaton scholarship announced
The Historical Society of Carroll
County announces the 2018 winners of the annual Mike Eaton scholarship.
Since
2011 The Historical Society of Carroll County has been awarding the Mike Eaton
Scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to honor the memory of William
Granville “Mike” Eaton, an English teacher at Westminster High School from 1935
to 1971. He also directed plays and advised the Key Club. He inspired his
students to challenge and improve themselves in many ways. He always believed
in the great potential of his students to excel, and they have proven him
correct.
Mr.
Eaton brought panache to his classroom with his deck of index cards from which
he pulled the targets of his well-placed questions. The cards brought their
share of insecurity to the ill prepared, but Westminster High School seniors
began to discover something, Shakespeare wasn't so bad after all. Mr. Eaton
commanded the classroom. Heading the Drama Club at Westminster High School, he
also commanded excellence in theatrical offerings.
Mr.
Eaton was born in Centerville, Maryland and passed away from cancer in 1995. He
graduated from Western Maryland College in 1930 and subsequently went on to
earn his Master’s degree at Columbia University in New York.
For over
three decades, Mike Eaton was Thelma Hoffman’s star boarder at Hoffman’s Inn,
now owned by the Historical Society of Carroll County and known as Cockey’s
Tavern, its name from when it was built in 1820.
The Mike
Eaton Scholarship has been established through the Historical Society of
Carroll County to recognize inspirational teachers, like Mr. Eaton, in the
lives of the current graduating class of Westminster High School. The winning
students wrote an essay about their most inspirational teacher.
Two Mike Eaton scholarships were
awarded this spring to graduating seniors from Westminster High School. The
teachers in the winning essays were also recognized at the Westminster High
School awards ceremonies on June 4, 2018.
The two
winning students were Margie Spann and Richard Folderauer. They each received a
$500.00 scholarship and their most influential teacher received an engraved
school bell.
Mr. Folderauer
named Mrs. Melissa Purdy as his most influential teacher. Ms. Spann named Mrs.
Kim Saltsburg as her most influential teacher.
Like Mr.
Eaton, Mrs. Purdy is the Westminster High School drama teacher. According to
Mr. Folderauer, every year Mrs. Purdy puts her heart, mind, and soul into three
productions. She is a director, mentor, and friend to her students. She teaches
kids from all walks of life the importance and the joy of performing. By doing
that, she gives her students a love for performing and has inspired Richard
Folderauer to inspire others with that love of performing.
Ms.
Spann called Ms. Saltsburg an inspirational teacher whom she said was
energetic, humorous, and beaming. She made interactive lessons that inspired Spann
to anticipate going to class, look forward to studying for tests, and yearn to
learn more. All of this happened in Mrs. Saltsburg’s Human Anatomy and
Physiology class. While she introduced many to the pungent smell of
formaldehyde; in the process she helped Margie Spann flourish in class and
introduced her to the medical field, as she now plans to become a doctor.
Mr.
Folderauer and Ms. Spann will both be attending the University of Maryland,
College Park.
The
Historical Society is pleased to be sponsoring this scholarship in memory of
Mike Eaton who was an influential and memorable teacher at Westminster High
School for over 35 years.
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Historical Society of Carroll
County
210 East Main Street, Westminster MD
21157
(410) 848-6494
For more information, contact Caroline Babylon or the Historical
Society of Carroll County at 410-848-6494
