Is Alison Dunford the world’s greatest teacher? Chad Hall certainly thought so when he had her in third grade at Marietta’s Timber Ridge Elementary School. Now that Chad is a rising sophomore at Walton High School, he still thinks so. “She uplifted me and gave me confidence,” Chad says. “I asked her one time, ‘Do you think I can become an Eagle Scout some day?’ She said, ‘If you want to, you can.’” Chad is now on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout, having completed his service project in May. And wouldn’t you know it? It’s an outdoor classroom for Alison Dunford.
Q: What is so special about Alison Dunford?
A: She gave me lots of leadership roles. She really inspired me to be an Eagle Scout and explore everything.
Q: What is so special about Scouts?
A: I've been a Scout since the first grade, which is a decent amount of my life. Scouts has taught me a lot about leadership, how to treat other people. It has helped me to communicate and be a better person. A lot of people get out of high school and don't have much to say for themselves. If I am an Eagle Scout, that says a lot about what I have been able to accomplish.
Q: How did you come up with your Eagle Scout project?
A: I asked Mrs. Dunford, "Do you need anything for me to do around the school?" She had a vision to create an outdoor classroom so kids wouldn't have to be cooped up all day. It is a very large and multi-purpose stage where kids can give presentations and perform outdoor experiments for Mrs. Dunford's science class. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops can meet there. We were able to accomplish her goal.
Q: What all was involved?
A: Mrs. Dunford and I worked together very closely. We consulted with an architect who provided a detailed drawing and someone fluid in construction with the troop scaled it down to fit the area. Mrs. Dunford applied for a grant that covered the initial building supplies. Lowe's in Sandy Springs generously discounted materials to help us meet our budget. Kids from the school, my troop, my family and friends helped build the stage while my family and friends donated food and drinks to keep us keep going. I personally put almost 100 hours into the planning and the project took more than 400 total man-hours.
Q: Had you ever built anything like this before?
A: This was the first time. It was definitely a very big learning experience.
Q: Were you nervous the first time you stepped on it?
A: I was expecting it to sort of give a little bit. It is hard as a rock.
Q: What was it like working with your teacher again?
A: I thought it would feel different. I was more on an equal level with her rather than a flashback to when she was teaching me science.
Q: Do you think she was pleased with how the project turned out?
A: I think she was speechless, to be honest. It turned out better than either of us could have imagined.
Q: How did it feel to do something for your school?
A: It felt nice to give back after everything it has given me — a very strong educational foundation that I am still expanding on today. To make Mrs. Dunford happy and give the school an outdoor classroom is an unexplainable feeling.
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
