A wave of applause swept through the classroom, as Education Fund (Ed. Fund) President, Devon Dougherty, presented Mr. McGill, Beckman’s Teacher of the Year, with donation funding. The funding, presented Monday, April 23, will be used to, as Mr. McGill expressed, “augment extra programs at Beckman.” More specifically, Ed. Fund’s donation will be used to help fund after-school seminars for AP History students. Mr. McGill continued, “It is another tool for these dedicated students to utilize, an opportunity to listen to and hear from passionate professors and experts, who, frankly, aren’t me.”

Ed. Fund’s donation stemmed from their concern about the Patriot student body. They wanted to help, as President Devon Dougherty expressed, “build and foster positive learning communities.” Out of the organization’s goodwill, came a donation to employ speakers with zeal and expertise. Mr. McGill summed up the donation, proclaiming, “Ed. Fund has been wonderful. This is a great opportunity.”

One of the most surprising factors about these seminar speakers is that they, as Mr. McGill admired, “responded to the requests enthusiastically, without expecting any pay.” However, Mr. McGill’s commitment to professionalism urged him to “extend the courtesy of compensation and validate their importance.” These seminar speakers include a member of the Patriot faculty, an AP Reader, a US attorney, and a civil war reenactor. The seminars are planned to help the students think about US history through a new lense with a different perspective.