For JoNeal Hendricks Scully ’59, a handwritten note can be the scene of a crime. She zeroes in on evidence others might miss, probing each penned character for possible leads. Is it larger or smaller than normal? More pointed or more round? Slanted to the left or to the right? Little details can give Scully big tips about a penman’s personality. She has used them to weigh in on everything from criminal investigations to romantic relationships. But her decades-long career as a certified handwriting analyst came together much like the mysteries she solves – one clue at a time. “It’s like working a puzzle,” said Scully, who studied history, education, and psychology at Mary Washington. “You keep coming around and around. You’re looking for so many things.” Scully taught school for a while after college, but it wasn’t for her. Three years overseas, two children, and one decade later, she decided to revisit her love of psychology. She was excited until the graduate-school … [Read more...]
Chicago Teacher Earns Golden Apple
Katherine Dube ’97 was selected in May as one of the top high school teachers in the Chicago area. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn visited Dube’s school, TEAM Englewood Community Academy, to congratulate her for being among 10 recipients of the 2013 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award carries a cash prize and a tuition-free sabbatical to study for a quarter at Northwestern University. Dube, who majored in English at Mary Washington and earned a master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire, teaches high school freshmen who read at the fourth-grade to ninth-grade level. She makes her expectations for them clear right away: They’re going to college. Last year, her students achieved the highest reading gains for their grade level among 17 high schools, according to a Golden Apple press release. “Katherine believes that learning requires risk-taking, respect, and trust in the teachers and school,” the release said. She “is a dedicated and caring teacher who … [Read more...]