For more information contact: MHCC Office of College Advancement
MHCC Announces Distinguished Teaching Awards
Susan Spencer
Debbie Van Dover
Holly DeGrow
The third award winner, Holly DeGrow, has been a full-time instructor for 10 years and teaches composition, rhetoric and literature – primarily Shakespeare, short story, drama and British literature. She is heavily involved in bringing artists and writers to MHCC to showcase their work for students and publishes a collection of exemplary student essays called “Exit 17.” When asked about the significance of the award, DeGrow said, “I’d like to thank my colleagues and students for making MHCC such a special place. Every day, I look forward to laughing with them. I’ve learned so much from my students and the brilliant people I work with – how to be a better person, how to infuse the day with humor, how to accept another person’s point of view gracefully and how to broaden my mind and become more tolerant of all types of people.” She added that learning and “above all, being kind to others, are the things that really matter in life.” Congratulations to these three distinguished instructors!
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CA1514
(2011) — Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) has selected three outstanding instructors to receive the annual “Distinguished Teaching Award.” The awards are designed to recognize excellent teaching and service to students and peers, and to encourage continuation of that excellence. Each recipient learned about her award by a surprise visit from the College president, who brought flowers and congratulations. Students swarmed to beat the deadline to nominate Debbie Van Dover, who teaches in the physical therapy assistant program. Twenty students took the time to write long, glowing and very detailed letters about their favorite teacher. “Debbie changed my life,” a student wrote. “She was a rock for me when I didn’t think I could hang on longer.” A full-time instructor since 2000, Van Dover says, “It’s a privilege to be a part of our students’ lives and watch them become empowered to become healthcare providers. It’s an honor to touch the future” by engaging students through classroom and lab experiences. Susan Spencer, the second distinguished instructor, learned about her award while playing softball with her colleagues. The game quickly turned into a celebration for the anatomy and physiology (A and P) instructor. Students overwhelmingly voted for Spencer, emphasizing her tremendous love of teaching and the impact she has had on their lives. A grateful student wrote, “Susan was able to take a scary class like A and P and make it come alive for me!” The selection committee obviously agreed with the students, as one member commented, “Reading about Susan made me excited about A and P!”
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