The O’Neal class of 2024’s departure left a special gift in their wake. They believed that the faculty and staff members played a crucial role in the development of their characters and that the best way to give back to the community is to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and faith these teachers put into them.
The class gift, an award dedicated at the end of each academic year and voted on by that year’s senior class, acknowledges a teacher or faculty member who has gone beyond their professional requirements by supporting students mentally, emotionally, and academically, and whom the senior class has profound respect and affection for.
The first winner of the Most Influential Teacher award was science and math teacher Earle Poole. Poole has dedicated five years to the students at O’Neal with many more to come. He is a devoted cross-country coach, bus driver, and extraordinary science and math teacher to dozens of middle and upper school students. One senior who worked closely with Poole notes how “he added humor, happiness, and history facts to the Upper School every single day and deserves every ounce of recognition for his amazing attitude and influence.”
Feature photo: Senior Class President Tylar Pastre with award recipient Earle Poole. Photo by Kathy Taylor.
~Contributed by Senior Class President Tylar Pastre.
To sign up for the free Sandhills Sentinel weekly e-newsletter, please click here.
