The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Teachers of Tomorrow (TOT) organization at Lamar State College-Orange has revamped their organization and has several projects planned for the upcoming semester. The TOT group will participate in the October Fest on campus, volunteer at the Orange Lion Club carnival, plan a Thanksgiving food drive, decorate a Christmas tree at Shangri-La Gardens and plan another Christmas project for the community.

The group includes all associate of arts in teaching education majors who are currently taking Introduction to Teaching or Introduction to Special Populations classes. Instead of officers, the group decided to select a leadership team to spear head the organization. The team members are John Gilchrist, Billy Grogan, Elizabeth Burch, Kailey Rountree, Mary Warnell, Samantha Hanson, Ryanne Poole, Danielle Hoffpauir and Britney Stanford.

One team member, John L. Gilchrist, is a 2009 graduate of Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School.

He is the LSC-O campus government student representative for the group.

His majors at LSC-O include sociology, education, natural science and liberal arts.

He plans to attend Lamar University and become a Texas certified teacher for high school science.

Gilchrist is currently the LSC-O student government president and he received the student government service award for the 2011-2012 year and again for the 2012-2013 year.

He received the Teen Leadership Award while in high school for the 2008 and 2009 school years, and he was a member of the band.

Gilchrist is the son of Jan and Lenora Gilchrist and has one sister, Jona Gilchrist.

Elizabeth Burch is a 2013 graduate of Deweyville High School where she was the student council president, a member of the Spanish Club, the Honor Society, was a cheerleader and captain, a reporter for Future Farmers of America, president of the History Club and acted in the school’s One-Act Play. She received an award as All Star Cast for the OAP and graduated high school with honors. Burch volunteered for the Texas Highway Cleanup Committee and the Veterans Day Program in Deweyville.

Burch is an education major at LSC-O. She plans to finish college at Lamar University and become certified to teach elementary school. She is the daughter of De’Etha Burch and James Burch and has one brother, Chris and one sister, Samantha Burch.

Kailey Rountree is also a member of the TOT Leadership Committee. She is a 2013 graduate of LCM High School where she served on the Texas Association of Future Educators, Bear Believers, Bear Buddies mentoring program, National Honor Society and the Key Club. She graduated with honors and received the girl’s best personality award of her 2013 high school class. Rountree volunteers as a Sunday school teacher.

Rountree is an education major at LSC-O and plans to get her bachelor’s degree at Lamar University and become certified as an elementary school teacher. She is the daughter of Dennis and Tammy Rountree and has one brother, Garrett.

Mary Warnell is a 2012 high school graduate at West Orange-Stark High School. She was a member of the Future Teachers of America, president of the Culinary Arts Club, was a member of Business Professionals of America and a member of the Color Guard. Warnell volunteers at the local nursing home during Christmas and has worked the local Trash Off. She won the Business and Professionals of America award while in high school and attended the state conference where she took second place. Warnell is also an education major at LSC-O, and she plans on attending Lamar University to get her teaching certification in elementary education. She is the daughter of Cynthia and Norman Warnell.

Samantha Hanson is a 2010 high school graduate of Kirbyville High School where she served as president of the Future Community Career Leaders of America organization. She is an education major at LSC-O and plans on finishing her bachelor’s degree at Lamar University to become certified in high school family consumer science.

Ryanne Poole also belongs to the TOT Leadership Committee. She is a 2010 graduate of Lumberton High School where she served as secretary and treasurer of the Theater Club, Pros and Poetry UIL member and participated in the school One-Act Play. She received 2nd, 3rd and 5th place ribbons in the UIL poetry contests. Poole will attend Lamar University to complete her bachelor’s degree and wants to teach high school history. She is the daughter of Michael and Gail Poole and has one sister, Leslie Downs and one brother John Poole.

Danielle Hoffpauir is a 2012 high school graduate from LC-M High School. She plans on completing her bachelor degree at Lamar University and become an elementary school teacher. She is the daughter of Ann and Gerald Hoffpauir and has two brothers, Stephen and Jonathan Trotti.

Britney Sanford is a 2003 graduate of West Orange-Stark High School where she was a member of the band, Honors Society, was the historian of the Culinary Arts Club and co-editor of the school newspaper and Journalism Club. She volunteers at First Baptist Church of Orange where she is the Awana Cubbie director, teaches first and second grade connection group and is a teacher for the Pier 252 group. Sanford is an education major at LSC-O and will get her bachelor’s degree at Lamar University where she will get a teacher certification for elementary level with a specialty in reading. Her husband is Nathan Sanford, and they have two children, Lillian and Olivia Sanford.

The sponsor and instructor for the Associate of Arts in Teaching students is longtime instructor Dorraine Babcock. The director of the College Success Division is Mary Sizemore.

Contact Persons: Mary Sizemore, College Success Division Director, 882-3053; Dorraine Babcock, TOT Sponsor, 882-3072.

John Gilchrist, Billy Grogan, Elizabeth Burch, Kailey Rountree, Mary Warnell, Samantha Hanson, Ryanne Poole, Danielle Hoffpauir and Britney Stanford makeup the leadership team in the Teachers of Tomorrow organization at Lamar State College-Orange.