I took Freshman Composition from Grace Shipley for my first UWEC class - the summer of 1965. From her, I learned to write the standard essay - a skill that saw me through a BA, MST, Ed.S and Ph.D. I taught that essay in much the same way to my students in writing classes at the technical college and university levels throughout my career. I definitely honed my writing skills in Miss Shipley’s class.
There was talk among the students that she had been a sergeant in the Army which was not difficult for many of us struggling to keep up in her class to believe, but I would never have thought of her as dancing and singing with a traveling company. Teachers can always surprise us.
Of all the teachers I have met in my many years as a student, Grace Shipley stands out as one of the best. To receive a scholarship in her name will be a real honor.
