Granger high school has received a lot of media coverage in the past year or so regarding a new top of the line football stadium and a complete remodel of the institution itself. Though these improvements are definitely worth celebrating, it would be criminal to overlook the contributions and achievements of one of their most beloved faculty, and previous student, Sandra Woodward.
There are few Lancers who can say that Ms.Woodward did not in some way contribute to their education experience at Granger. As an English teacher Ms.Woodward has dedicated her life to helping students grasp and perfect the basic principles of a language that seems to be constantly under attack as technology advances. As an Advanced Placement English Literature teacher, she introduces senior students to the beauty of some of the most classic pieces of literature, many times planting the seed that lead to great passion for the various genres studied. As if she weren’t busy enough with her core classes, Ms.Woodward also shares her gift for Latin with those brave enough to learn.
The time she has out of class is spent promoting student success as the school’s National Honors Society Advisor and Sterling Scholar liaison. Her classroom is decorated with hundreds of photographs of her students, both past and present who consider her an important person who has made some type of difference for them personally. Many of these past students visit her even years later, unable to forget just how great of a role she played in some of the most critical years of their lives. I am one of those students.
I graduated from Granger in 2010 and am currently working on my Bachelors degree. As any college student does, I have written more than my fair share of college papers, including some difficult analysis pieces on early British literature. In a time of freshman panic I reached out to Ms.Woodward just to share my frustration, and was pleasantly surprised with an offer to proof read and give feedback on anything I might need help with. I realized then that regardless of my age or location, Ms.Woodward would forever be a teacher to me. Though I am no longer an actual student of Granger high school and have moved on from the high school traditions that I once loved, I will forever be grateful that I was and still am a student of Sandra Woodward.
–Braquel Buckley