Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

About Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. She also holds a certificate for Interior Design Level 1 from Mt. San Antonio College. She has been an educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District for more than 30 years.

Troops to Teachers program helps veterans transition to a new career in the classroom

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As we celebrate our nation’s veterans this weekend I would like to share with everyone a terrific government program called Troops to Teachers. The program is designed to assist soldiers in their transition from service in the military to service in the classroom. To date, the program has helped over 21,000 veterans become teachers. Isn’t that marvelous? View the video below where one such veteran, Heatheranne Bozeman of Florida, describes how becoming a teacher after retiring from military service has changed her life:

Honoring Henry Alvin Cameron, American WWI Veteran

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During this weekend’s Memorial Day observances, I am reminded that many our our nation’s educators are also veterans. One of my favorite Chalkboard Heroes is Henry Alvin Cameron, a high school science teacher from Nashville, Tennessee. He was not only a leader in the African American community in the early days of the 20th century, but he was also a veteran of World War I. Below is a digital story I created to tell you more about this heroic historical figure.

World Languages teacher Jose Sologuren of Texas earns Excellent Educator Award

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World Languages teacher Jose Sologuren of Dallas, Texas, earns Excellent Educator Award.

I love to share stories about wonderful educators who have earned recognition for their dedication and hard work. One of these educators is Jose Sologuren, a World Languages teacher at Skyline High School located in Dallas, Texas. Jose was honored with an Excellent Educator Award on May 19, 2019, by the television station Channel 5 NBCDFW and Southern Methodist University.

Jose earned his degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. He has taught in the Dallas Independent School District for 13 years. This remarkable teacher supervises his school’s World Languages Department, which offers nine languages to the students. He was instrumental in adding Korean, Italian, and German language classes to the curriculum, and even helped raise the funding to help pay for those classes. In addition, he has a reputation for putting in countless hours helping students apply for college, scholarships, and opportunities to study abroad.

“All of us are the product of remarkable teachers who poured into us, who have really encouraged us to work hard, to pursue our dreams, and to really reach our full potential,” remarks Dr. K.C. Mmeje, Vice President for Student Affairs at Southern Methodist University. Jose is humble about his award, though. “Give the students the tools that they’re gonna need to have a better future, to improve their lives,” says Jose. “Teaching is not just a job, it’s a calling.”

To learn more about Jose, click on this link:  Channel 5 NBCDFW

The amazing Freida Riley, inspiration for Rocket Boys

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Freida Riley, the West Virginia educator who inspired the book Rocket Boys and the movie October Sky.

One of the most amazing teachers I ever read about was a West Virginia educator named Freida Riley. This dedicated teacher is responsible for inspiring young students in a small coal mining town to pursue careers in NASA.

Freida was born in 1937 in Squire, West Virginia, to J.F. and Sallie (Beavers) Riley. As a high school student, she attended Big Creek High School, where she was ranked first in her class. Following her high school graduation, she attended Concord College, and then she completed graduate work at Ohio State University and West Virginia University.

After college, Frieda was hired to teach at her alma mater, Big Creek High School in War, West Virginia. She worked there during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s teaching math, science, chemistry, and physics. As an educator, she was described as  dynamic, but tough. She was widely known for her inspiring work with students, including Homer Hickam, Jr., who achieved his seemingly unattainable goal of working for NASA. After Homer retired, he became a highly acclaimed writer, publishing a 1998 memoir entitled Rocket Boys which soared to the top of the best seller lists. In the book, Homer gave a great deal of credit to Freida for his professional success. Eventually the story became the 1999 feature film October Sky, with actress Laura Dern portraying Freida. The talented educator also appeared in Homer’s two follow-up memoirs, The Coalwood Way published in 2000, and Sky of Stone published in 2002.

In the last days of her life, Freida suffered from Hodgkin’s Disease. Nevertheless, she insisted on continuing with her teaching, even when  it was necessary for her students to carry her to her classroom on a stretcher. She passed away in 1969. She was only 31 years old. She is interred at Grandview Memory Gardens in Bluefield, Virginia.

The Freida J. Riley Award was established in her honor and is awarded annually to an American educator who overcomes adversity or makes an enormous sacrifice to positively impact students. The award is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and administered by the Partnership for America’s Future. Concord College has also established an annual scholarship in Riley’s name.