SCC instructor makes donation to College in honor of former students

SYLVA - Sharon Ridley, a developmental education instructor at SCC, made a donation of two-dozen novels to Southwestern's Learning Assistance Center (LAC) library in memory of two former students: the late Mary Kathryn Hooper and Jason Paul Lewis.

Ridley donated a collection of popular English and American Classics for Hooper, who was her work-study student for two years, and a collection of American Old West books in memory of Lewis, who was a student of Ridley's. Barbara Putman, Director of Academic Support, accepted the gifts on behalf of SCC's LAC.

Hooper, who was active in Phi Theta Kappa honor society and achieved the President's List, graduated from SCC in May of 1999 with an A.A.S. in Information Systems. Upon graduating, she worked in Jackson County until her untimely death in September of 2000.

Anita Burgin, one of Hooper's instructors at SCC, said Hooper was: "a high-achieving student with great potential. Her work ethic in the classroom set examples for others to follow. I deeply regret that Mary Kay's health robbed her a future where she could have reached her full potential."

Lewis, who was majoring Information Systems, died unexpectedly in May 1999. Bob Harrison, Lewis's former instructor, said, "Jason was a friend; he was one of those friends whose passing was difficult for me to come to grips with. Jason was a special person, and an inspiration because he never met a stranger- never met a person he couldn't talk to . . . he fell often, but he always climbed back up, tried a different path and went on. And, if he had not left us so soon, I know that someday, some way, Jason would have realized his dreams because he was the embodiment of 'True Grit.'"

Hooper was the daughter of Dan Hooper of Sylva and Mildred Bennett Harker of Franklin. Lewis was the son of Paul and Barbara Lewis of Sylva.

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