College Selects Distinguished Educators

The nominations have been collected and five recipients for the SHSU College of Education’s “Distinguished Educator of the Year” awards have been selected.

The first of what will become an annual event, an award ceremony will be held on Saturday (March 5) at 6 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom to honor Herman Smith as “Distinguished Administrator/Supervisor,” Deborah Plengemeyer Hubenak as “Distinguished Elementary Teacher,” Bessie Mae Kee as “Distinguished Secondary Teacher,” Susan Kay Turner Estrada as “Distinguished Support Professional” and Joyce Walters Eveld as distinguished “Friend of Education.”

Smith is a 1974 SHSU graduate with a Bachelor of Music Education degree who also earned his Master of Education degree from SHSU in 1976 and his doctorate from Texas A&M in 1988.

He worked in public schools for 30 years, serving as superintendent at Bryan, Greenville and Taylor ISDs. Currently, he is the executive director for the State Board for Educator Certification.

Hubenak is a 1975 SHSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education who also received her master’s degree from Prairie View A&M in 1982.

A teacher for 30 years, she currently serves as a Title I teacher and coordinator at Jane Long Elementary School in Richmond, where she has taught since 1993.

Kee is a 1934 SHSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree. She worked during the summers to receive her Master of Education degree from the University of Texas in 1945.

Retired since 1971, when she completed her 47-year career in education, Kee taught high school English at Alvin High School for 29 years and served most of her time there as department chair. Throughout her career, she also taught at schools in Trinity County, Grapeland and Pennington.

Estrada is a 1979 SHSU graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching degree who also received her Master of Special Education degree from SHSU in 1983.

She has spent her entire 25-year career at Francone Elementary School in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, first as a bilingual special education teacher and bilingual elementary teacher before moving on to bilingual ESL helping teacher in 2000. In addition, she was pivotal in the implementation of the Bilingual Special Education Resource class in the district.

Eveld is a 1952 SHSU graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree who also earned Lifetime Texas Teacher Certifications for elementary and high schools from SHSU.

A teacher for 25 years at schools districts such as Spring Branch, Houston and Katy, she also developed and implemented the kindergarten program at Pines Presbyterian School in Houston.

She has proved to be a “friend of education” through her volunteer work with Assistance League of Houston, which provides 2,000 disadvantaged children with a basic wardrobe of school clothing and hygiene items annually.

The five were selected from over 146 nominations from across southeast Texas in January by a selection committee consisting of faculty from each department of the college, according to Jackie Hartman, COE events coordinator.

“ It was a tough decision as so many were worthy of the honor,” Hartman said.

Honorees were chosen based upon the information they provided in a questionnaire and the selection was based on four criteria: professional experience, professional biography, community involvement and philosophy of education.

They must also be SHSU alumni who have “made a significant contribution to the field of education,” Hartman said.

“ They have demonstrated expertise or outstanding service in the classroom, school, district, and/or community,” she said.

The ceremony will be semi-formal, black tie optional, and will also consist of dinner. Tickets are $30, and the deadline to purchase tickets is Friday (Feb. 25).

For more information, contact Hartman at 936.294.4070 or e-mail jackie@shsu.edu.

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
Feb. 23, 2005
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