How did an MBA teacher or coach impact your life? by Camellia Howorth

Will Howorth, 2002

2024-05-07 15:53:21 UTC

It's hard to describe how impactful and integral Jamie Tillman was to my high school experience at MBA. Before the advisory system was established, Mr. Tillman and I had an informal advisory every day before the start of school my senior year. I knew it was a place of psychological safety where we could discuss the happenings of the day, challenges and opportunities in my life, or simply sit in silence while he graded papers, prepared for class and I completed my homework. Through bonfire events before football games, the inaugural carnival, the talent show or other partnerships between the student council and the school, Mr. Tillman was a mentor, partner, friend and when the situation warranted – disciplinarian. He stayed in touch with me through regular email correspondence and holiday notes post-graduation and while six months or even a year would go between visits, we would reconnect and our cadence would revert back to my senior year in his office for an early morning visit. Educators like Mr. Tillman are the lifeblood of a school and the reason why many like myself credit MBA and the teachers at MBA for such a formative and developmental experience in 4 years on the Hill. Bravo Mr. Tillman and thank you. The debt will never be repaid.

Will Howorth

Class of 2002

Pruitt Knew It

2024-05-13 21:39:18 UTC

Coach Pruitt would routinely call me a different Old Testaments prophet's name each day at track practice. Or, if I ran particularly well, he might call me Kaw-Liga. Once after we placed in a regional meet, my name appeared in the newspaper as Isaiah Reynolds. He knew my real name...I think. -Elijah Reynolds

Compton Gets Eye of the Tiger

2024-05-13 21:43:17 UTC

Once in Coach Compton's AP calculus class, for no apparent reason, a certain student (Kevin Weldon I think) climbed onto his desk and started signing "Eye of the Tiger" at the top of his lungs. Completely unfazed, Coach Compton let him finish before proceeding with the lesson. How else do you teach for 50+ years unless you have this kind of unflappability!? -Elijah Reynolds

Professor Jody Johnson, 1979

2024-05-13 21:56:28 UTC

I graduated from MBA in 1979. I had the pleasure of being taught by Bill Compton my sophomore year in Algebra II. He made me enjoy the subject so much that I majored in math in college and later became an actuary. I also had the unique experience of being coached by John Lanier in soccer my senior year. During one game against Father Ryan, Coach Lanier instructed me to pick a fight with one of their better players, A Derrick no less. I replied, "but Coach, I have already had a warning, and this will get me kicked out of the game for sure." Coach Lanier told me that I was completely expendable and no real asset to our team, but with a little luck, Derrick would get tossed too, and that would truly be a loss for their team and a net win for MBA. Even I understood this math and logic.

Unauthorized Fire Fighting

2024-05-14 17:16:06 UTC

I didn't get a ton of demerits at MBA (just kidding, I got plenty), but, when I did, I tried to make them noteworthy. My freshman Biology class with Mr. Pruitt met in the old chemistry lab twice a week. From where I sat in the old chemistry lab, I couldn't see to the other side of one of the concrete pillars in the middle of the room that was desperately keeping the gym from falling down on us. Well, one day, before class began, I was, as one does, strolling around the lab. On the backside of one of these pillars, I noticed--for the first time--a giant showerhead. I had no idea why there would be a giant showerhead in a chemistry lab (because I was apparently kind of an idiot), so I thought this was funny. I pointed this showerhead out to my classmates. Helpfully, they suggested that I should pull the handle to see if it works. Good idea, I thought. I did so. Water began streaming out of the showerhead by the gallons. (Also, N.B.: when you let go of the handle on a giant old-chemistry-lab showerhead, the water does not automatically stop. You have to manually cram the handle back up. I was not aware of this until I was watching water stream onto my shoes.) Anyway, while I was thereafter mopping up the flood, Mr. Pruitt walked into the room, surveyed the scene, and said, "Mr. Burkhalter, five demerits."

Back in the olden days of the mid-to-late 1990s, demerits were posted publicly in the Ball Building at the end of each week. (We were harder then.) When I checked that Friday morning, sure enough, there it was: "Burkhalter - 5 demerits - Unauthorized Fire Fighting."

Stuart Burkhalter ('99)