Jim and Bobbie Durham Longtime Educators Endow Teaching Scholarships

04/19/2006

Their careers were intertwined by education, his as Okaloosa-Walton College's vice president for instruction and hers in an elementary school classroom teacher.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that Dr. Jim and Mrs. Bobbie Durham of Valparaiso have decided to leave a legacy that will assure the next generation of prospective teachers will have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams.

"We learned about the college beginning the new Educator Preparation Institute that brings individuals back to O-W who have a bachelors degree and trains them to become teachers," said Dr. Durham, who had been a teacher and then OWC's chief instruction officer for some 30-plus years. "This really caught our attention because we are quite aware of the teacher shortage in the state and the nation."

OWC's new Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) started in January 2006 with 61 students. The EPI provides an alternative fast-track route to a Florida Teacher Certificate for individuals who hold a bachelor's or higher degree. State legislation established Educator Preparation Institutes (EPI) across the state as way to address Florida's teacher shortage. According to estimates by the Department of Education, Florida will need more than 32,000 new teachers next year due to increased population, the class-size amendment and teacher retirements.

"The ability to rollover our IRA tax free and get a charitable deduction at the same time really cinched the thing for us," said Durham, who with his wife, established the Dr. Jim and Bobbie Durham Teacher Scholarship Endowment through the OWC Foundation. "When those two factors came together, we knew it was the right time for us to create the endowed scholarship."

Of course, the Durhams know the state's matching fund for community colleges will double the size of their $15,000 contribution to the college. "Those matching funds are important," said Durham. "I have watched the OWC Foundation grow over the years because of the many donors who took advantage of the state's matching funds. Based on the cost of the teacher institute, we should be able to provide scholarship assistance to three or four students in the program each year."

Dr. Bob Richburg, president of OWC, said the Durham's endowment "is a great way for the college to begin our new teacher institute -- with the help of two people who truly have given their hearts and souls to education. Jim and Bobbie Durham have been part of the fabric of this college and the community for so long. Their scholarship endowment will indeed be a lasting legacy for those entering the teaching profession. OWC is honored by their gift and their service."

As one of the original faculty to start the college more than 40 years ago, Durham filled several rolls until becoming the college's chief academic officer under former OWJC president Dr. Ed McCracken and became the vice president for instruction under Richburg until Durham retired ten years ago. Along the way, Durham gained a private pilot's license, became an avid Airstream aficionado and rose recently to president of the state's Masonic Lodges. Durham even encouraged the local Masonic Lodges to fund their own endowed scholarship. "Well," said Durham with a grin, "I might have put in a word or two."

For information about the OWC Educator Preparation Institute, call 729-5322.