Comment
Print
Rebecca Haney, a Business Sciences instructor at Isothermal Community College, earned the institution's highest teaching honor this week.
The 2019 Robert Wendell Eaves Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to Haney by Walter Dalton, Isothermal's president, at the annual commencement exercises Monday evening.
Haney has just completed her tenth year at Isothermal. She was nominated by six of her students.
One student says Haney has a "welcoming personality that gives you a sense of comfort when approaching or communicating with her."
"I can't think of a moment when she hasn't given her best in any class I've taken with her as the instructor," the student said. "It makes me happy to see her name on my schedule."
Another student had a similar observation: "Not only is she serious about her job, but she also loves her students and wants them to thrive in a successful career."
Students say Haney's abilities to motivate and encourage students are hard to match. One said, "She has pushed me since Day One. Her enthusiasm is contagious."
Haney has spent many hours working to better Isothermal though her service to organizations like Phi Beta Lambda, the collegiate business professional organization. Her students have competed well on the state, regional and national levels, often bringing home higher awards than nearby four-year universities.
Haney had a rocky start early in life, and even dropped out of high school before turning to the North Carolina Community College System for help in earning her high school diploma and her Associate's Degree. That set her up for several higher-level degrees from Gardner-Webb and ultimately her career as a teacher.
It's a career she loves and, in her own words, Haney loves "being a part of assisting others in changing the course of their futures."
All of this Haney has done while being an active wife and mother to two sons - one a current Isothermal student, another a recent graduate, said Dalto as he presented the award.
The Robert Wendell Eaves Distinguished Teaching Award is given each year to an instructor who demonstrates excellence in teaching and a true zeal for service to students. It was established by the Eaves family in 1982 to honor the late Dr. Robert Wendell Eaves and his distinguished career in education.
Dr. Eaves' philosophy and credo on the importance of teaching was simple: "A zeal for service is the first requirement of professionalization. Without a zeal for service, our efforts as educators are void and helpless. We cannot expect remuneration commensurate with our achievements. Our remuneration comes largely from the joy of seeing people grow strong, useful and intelligent. This is the best life has to offer. No greater life can anyone live."
Each year, the recipient is selected by a committee composed of past award recipients from nominations submitted by students, alumni, college personnel and members of the general public. Any full-time employee of Isothermal who spends at least 25 percent of his or her time on the job in teaching is eligible for the award.
Past winners have included Ruth Boehning, Vivian Sitton, Clara Fowler, Chris Koone, Carol Jones, Pete Golden, Aubrey Calton, Bill McDaniel, Dean Byrd, Gary Shipley, Mike Croussore, Lowery Luckadoo, Jay Coomes, Rhonda Davis, Cathy Alexander, Debbie Puett, Scott Bradey, Jeremiah Councill, Donna Harrison, Tim Beaver, Brett Parker, Amber Thompson, Melissa Johnson, Nathan Fisher, Scott Hutchins, Loreen Smith, Marisa Sudano and last year's winner, Jeremy Burris.
The other Eaves finalists this year were Dr. Ashley Day and Dr. Alice McCluney.
