Verdecchia recollected: “In my first year at Berea I was taking some remedial classes to improve my English. I remember being impressed by the small class sizes and the dedication of my teachers. I had some awesome teachers. They laid a foundation for me that first year that helped me be successful in all my academic pursuits thereafter.”

His academic pursuits have been somewhat extraordinary. Verdecchia graduated from Berea College with a bachelor’s degree in biology and was accepted quickly into a master’s program at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. At one time he considered his biology degree a stepping stone to a degree in medicine, but at UK his focus turned to food science. He obtained his master’s in food science and immediately proceeded toward a doctorate.

A year into the doctorate program, Verdecchia was offered a job as a private food inspector. It offered broad travel both in the U.S. and globally. He put the doctorate on hold for three years and experienced the world through his work. When he returned to the University of Kentucky his focus was split: He finished his doctorate in food science but, at the same time, he earned a master’s in education. Somewhere on the road during his three years as a food inspector, Verdecchia saw himself becoming a teacher.

He could have become a professor — and he said he still may — but Verdecchia found the prospect of working with younger people more compelling. Doctorates are a minority in US high schools. Amazingly, there have been as many as three at Bryan Station High School in the same year.

“I would have never applied for the [All American Teacher of the Year] award,” Verdecchia said. “Somebody nominated me and then I filled out an application.” When he was notified that he and twenty-two other high school math and science teachers had won, he said he was surprised. He was thrilled by the trip to Washington, D.C. to meet his co-winners, celebrate with NMSI staff and their corporate sponsors, receive his trophy and cash prize, and spend some time on the hill talking shop with legislative staff and members of Congress.

What’s mattered the most though, Verdecchia said, has been the back pats and congratulations he has received since he brought his trophy home.

NMSI, a Texas non-profit, exists to promote math and science education. The organization was founded in part to change the tide of diminishing performance in these fields by American students when compared to other countries. The on-the-ground tool for change promoted by NMSI and wielded by Verdecchia and other high school teachers is “Advanced Placement” classes in math and science — also known as “AP classes.” These are college-level classes taught in high school. At the end of a term, students may pay for and take a test to score their college-level proficiency in the subject. Depending on the college or university, these scores may earn AP students college credit; effectively, they may waive the necessity to take the equivalent classes in college.

“The AP science courses are hard,” Verdecchia said. “During the AP course students might not do so well. When it’s time to take the test they don’t see the point.” Verdecchia went on to say at Bryan Station the cost of the exam isn’t an issue. Grants reduce the price by half and, if a student wants to take the test but cannot afford to pay 50%, “We take that off the table. We’ll find the money.” Still, it’s hard to motivate students to take the test if they lack confidence in their ability to do well.

Drawing students into the AP science classes is another challenge. Kids anticipate college-level science is hard and, as AP class grades become a part of their high school transcript, some don’t want to take the risk to their overall grade point average. Verdecchia has fought this for five years. “The first two or three years we offered AP biology and chemistry it was all I could do to enlist 10 kids — the minimum number required to offer a course — but this year 29 students enrolled in my class.”

Verdecchia is passionate about his AP courses. He believes the rewards for students are not just passing scores and college credit, they include encouragement and self-esteem. Bryan Station High School serves a lot of low income families with kids who believe their likelihood of going to college is small. Verdecchia said he doesn’t pull any punches in delivering a class that’s truly college level, and he lets his students know that just finishing the course is an accomplishment; passing it in high school is an achievement; doing well enough to earn college credit is exceptional.

While having the AP credit might not make it any easier for some students to go to college, “it helps them want to,” Verdecchia said. A student with commendable AP performance knows that his or her intellectual abilities are not a factor limiting their chances at college. They should believe that high school is not the pinnacle of their education.

“Hardly a year goes by that I don’t write some letters of recommendation to Berea College on behalf of Bryan Station students,” Verdecchia added. A significant percentage of students attending Bryan Station meet the limited-financial-means guidelines for admission to Berea College. He enjoys the opportunity to tell students about his alma mater. In fact, he displays the BC logo on the door to his classroom.

When asked about his fondest memory of being a student at Berea, he smiled and answered, “Of course, I’ve mentioned the teachers and the small class size, and I made many friends I stay in touch with … I enjoyed my time on the soccer team … but my fondest memory? That’s got to be meeting my wife-to-be there. She was a nursing student and is a nurse, now. We were married in ’95 and have three great kids.”

Verdecchia’s Soccer Records framed and hanging in the atrium of the Seabury Center at Berea College

Related links:

• National Math and Science Initiative
• College Board: Inspiring Minds — AP Central
• Bryan Station High School, Lexington, Kentucky

A typical college student, he can be found playing board games into the early morning hours with his friends and often goes out on the weekends to watch the local bands play at neighborhood restaurants. Adjusted and sociable as he is, though, it is easy to see that Sam is not your normal college freshman. For instance, he enjoys spending his free time at the Special Collections archives in Hutchins Library listening to original recordings of traditional music. As well, he can often be found at the local park jamming on his banjo with his friends Jordan, on guitar, and Myra, on fiddle. His driving and broad passion for music makes him stand out at Berea as a force of talent and knowledge about the craft.

A first-year sophomore, Sam is an Appalachian Studies major with a Concentration in Appalachian Music. “I am absolutely in love with mountain music,” Sam explains, referring to both the bluegrass music of the region as well as the folk music of such greats as Jean Ritchie, Sheila Kay Adams, and popular artists Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. “Music kind of plays two roles for me,” he posits, “I have an academic interest in it, but it’s also a great release.”

Sam was first introduced to Berea College through a high school guidance counselor who suggested he apply for one of Berea’s Pinnacle Scholar Awards of Excellence. Sam applied for the award in the area of music and won it. After that, he says, “[The college] put me and my dad up, and we came and toured the campus. That was it for me.” So he wrote his essay (about state park service projects he had participated in) and prepared for his interview. “I went back to the little room for the interview, shaking like a leaf,” he recalls, “but the guy was so warm and friendly and kind, you know, and we ended up talking about Jean Ritchie’s music for a good while.”

‘I meet people here who I feel like I’ve known my whole life, but they’re from all across the United States, and the world, really.’

When Sam received his letter in the mail, it included a certificate for his four-year tuition scholarship, historically awarded to all Berea students. “That was a real eye-opener for me,” says Sam, “because I did not take that gift for granted.”

As far as the town itself, Sam doesn’t find Berea much different from Wythe County, Virginia, where he’s from. “When I see people on the street,” he explains, “I greet them the same as I would back home.” However, because of Berea’s unique commitments to interracial and international education, there is a much more diverse population to greet. Sam comments, “I meet people here who I feel like I’ve known my whole life, but they’re from all across the United States, and the world, really.” That includes his guitar-playing best friend Jordan Engel, who hails from Rochester, New York.

Since coming to Berea, Sam cites his Bluegrass Ensemble director Al White as a great musical influence and teacher. His guidance is paving the way for Sam’s future career path: to be a music teacher. “I guess my long term goal is to play here [through college],” he muses, “and then travel around the region, maybe do a residency in the public school system.” Wherever he lands, though, he’s taken something from Berea. As he puts it, “I’ve found the most in common with people who I thought were so different from me. It’s really shown me a lot about the threads that tie us together as people. “

Shirley Fowler

Like many Berea students, Shirley was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Hard work won her scholarships to Kalamazoo College, which enabled her to attend the University of Michigan and study statistical mathematics. Berea’s tradition of making education available to students of limited means resonated with Shirley. Soon, she wasn’t just supporting Berea financially. She was asking, “What can I do to help?”

“When you first meet Shirley, you quickly learn how big her heart is,” says Rod Bussey, former Vice President of Alumni Relations and Development, who asked Shirley to serve on the President’s Council and assist the Development Office with fund raising. As a volunteer for the College, Shirley accompanied Development staff on calls in Washington D.C., met with Berea students, and hosted luncheons for major donors. “People would ask why I was there,” Shirley remembers. “I felt I could offer them a different perspective, as someone who wasn’t employed by the College.”

But Shirley’s efforts didn’t stop with her volunteer work. In 1998, she and her late husband, Howland, wanted to endow a fund for Berea students. Because of Howland’s work as a scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Shirley’s love of mathematics, they created the Howland A. and Shirley B. Fowler Summer Science Research Fund. Since 2001, this fund has supported students and professors on summer research projects, an experience which is often a student’s first step in pursuing further studies in the sciences.

From her volunteer work to her gifts, Shirley’s dedication to Berea is steeped in family tradition. Her parents were early supporters of the College, and Howland was deeply loyal to Berea’s mission. Once her daughters Joanna and Amy completed their educations, Shirley encouraged them to give to Berea. And they do, supporting Berea to acknowledge the role education has played in their lives. Now the third generation to support the College, they share their mother’s satisfaction in making life better for others by making education available to all.

Gene Parr and Joan Parr

Reflecting on her husband’s 35 year practice as a successful orthopedic surgeon and her role in managing their family of five, Joan says, “Berea offers a lifestyle that makes a difference. It motivates you to want to do something in life that’s bigger than you. It satisfies a yearning to be all God wants you to be.”
Gene entered medical school after three years at Berea and quickly realized an enormous financial burden as a medical student. Remembering how the College had assisted him in the past, Gene asked Berea’s then-President Francis Hutchins for a lifeline. Hutchins answered the call, discovering a foundation that helped Gene through four years of medical school. Gene says, “Whenever I asked for help, I received it. Berea College was my great facilitator, contributing so much to my subsequent years.”

Gene and Joan began supporting Berea in 1948 with a $1 gift, and over the years they have given generously to the College, both financially and through service. Recently the Parrs established the Francis and Louise Hutchins Scholarship Fund, which assists Bereans facing financial challenges of medical school. Gene served on Berea’s Board of Trustees for six years and Joan worked as a class chairperson on the Alumni Council. Just as the College motivated Gene and Joan to live their dreams, the Parrs’ support helps today’s Berea students to live theirs.

For nearly 60 years, Gene and Joan have shared their lives and resources with their alma mater, reflecting on the optimism Berea instills in its alumni. In Gene’s words, “We have a unity of mind and attitude toward Berea, for the College has done so much for both of us.”

Tommy Boykin

When you first meet Tommy, he’s likely to ask your opinion on something like if you think he should be a research physicist or a motivational speaker. While an unlikely start to a first conversation, it’s the kind of thing you can expect from Tommy: a thoughtful question asked with a sincere desire to hear what you have to say. You can also expect Tommy to smile. Tommy is always smiling or about to smile. In fact, when you ask him about it, he smiles, and says, “I choose to approach everything in life with a smile.”

Tommy never has a bad day. Not that he leads a charmed life; he just always chooses to see the positive in everything. Like the day he had both a physics exam and a calculus exam. Faced with two major tests in two difficult classes, most students would redline on stress, pulling all nighters, eating junk food, sharing their fears and anxieties with anyone who will listen.

‘I am unwilling to allow someone else to define for me what I am, and am not, capable of.’

But not Tommy. He was smiling that day. Did he study? Of course. But he also chose to get 8 hours of sleep and eat a good breakfast. And there were no words of worry that morning from Tommy, only a thoughtful smile and a vote of confidence in himself: “I know that I am ready.”

Tommy carries a heavy load of courses for a freshman. His first semester schedule includes physics and calculus, along with core education courses—called “GSTR’s” at Berea. In his carefully planned free time, he also participates in the Contemporary Percussion ensemble, runs as an “unofficial” member of the Berea College Cross Country team, and participates in the Student Judicial Board. His short-term goal is to transform his love for drumming into a position with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, based in Rosemont, Illinois.

Tommy was not always the greatest drummer, either. In fact in the 6th grade, he was strongly encouraged to play just about anything else. But Tommy’s heart was set on the drums and with his Mom’s support and thousands of hours of practice, he became the section leader of the Homewood drum line in Birmingham. This fall, he’ll audition with the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps for the third time. “I’ve just missed making the corps twice, but I’m praying that this is my year.”

Long-term, Tommy hopes to earn his Ph.D. in physics and either teach or work for NASA.