Eleven Mount Pleasant High School seniors have been awarded Theo Shavers Memorial Scholarships. Longtime friend Lisa Rider set up a GoFundMe drive in the hopes of raising $2000 for a scholarship to be awarded to a 2021 senior in his name. In the end, the account raised $8000, giving the family the opportunity to award five $1000 and six $500 scholarships. “I knew from having family members pass away that you have more flowers and plants than you know what to do with,” said Rider. “We wanted to donate to whatever cause Emily thought would be appropriate. She without hesitation wanted to start a scholarship in Theo’s name and I knew GoFundMe was the place to start. My two older boys had Mr. Shavers for History and UIL and thought the world of him. We just wanted to do something to honor his memory.”
“I wanted to honor my husband with a scholarship in his name,” said his wife of twenty years, Emily. “He had many careers in his life from Adult Protective Services Caseworker to Sheriff’s Deputy to History teacher. But his first love was always education. He believed in higher education and opportunities for any student to be able to continue his or her education. He always said ‘If I ever win the lottery, I am going to buy big farm equipment and play all day and pay for kids to go to college or trade school.’ I wanted to keep his memory alive and honor him. He was a great teacher and loved what he did.”
Taryn Thurman remembered, “I along with my brother, Luke Thurman, who was in Mr. Shavers’ class just this year, both remember him saying ‘hello my little geniuses’ every time we walked in the classroom. Mr. Shavers knew everyone’s capabilities, and treated every kid with respect.”
“Mr. Shavers was the first teacher to expose me to the idea that not all issues in America are black and white,” said Ryan Sharp. “He taught me to think for myself and make conclusions not based off of what others tell me. His ability to understand issues from both sides of the problem inspired me to be as independent as possible and learn to listen to all.”
“He had the ability to brighten up the room with his laugh and smile,” recalled Isabella Greco. “I remember that he had nicknames for almost every kid in the class which made us feel comfortable and welcomed in his classroom.”
Recipients of $1000 scholarships include Isabella Greco, Patricia Roque, Taryn Thurman, Alejandra Ramirez, and Lesley Ortiz. Receiving $500 scholarships were Christian Flores, Bryan Flores, Ryan Sharp, Lily Burrows, Faith Logan, and Jaclyn Marroquin.
Photo:
Front row L to R: Jaclyn Marroquin, Emily Shavers, Brock Shavers, Ryan Sharp
2nd row L to R: Taryn Thurman, Christian Flores, Patricia Roque, Bryan Flores
3rd row L to R: Faith Logan, Alejandra Ramirez, Isabella Greco, Lily Burrows
(Not pictured Lesley Ortiz)