Teacher's legacy lives on through 13 students awarded scholarships

The legacy of a former Alcoa High School teacher will live on through 13 students who have been awarded scholarships through Mr. P’s Foundation.

The foundation, which honors the memory of Dennis “Mr. P” Pershing, awarded $42,500 to the recent grads during the Alcoa High School Senior Day.

The students are able to use the scholarship for college, trade school, or technical school.

Four students received a $5,000 award each: Josiah “Reed” Gossett, E’Miya Hill, Aiden Witt and Emma Young.

Orlando Minero received a $4,000 award.

Caroline Buchanan and Makeylee McNear both received a $3,000 award.

Three students received a $2,500 award each: Dru Greer, Samuel “Cole” Welch and Noah Wilson.

Olivia Baumann and Charles Cowart both received a $2,000 award and Amelia Pfeiffer was awarded $1,000.

Pershing taught at Alcoa High School for almost 25 years and assisted with the Helping Every Learner Progress program.

After his death in 2006, Pershing’s family began the Mr. P’s Foundation to honor his memory and help graduates continue their education.

Since 2007, the foundation has awarded a total of $441,500 in scholarships to 174 Alcoa High School graduates.

Pershing’s coworkers said he personified the school’s mission of patience and empathy when working with others. Pershing was known for greeting everyone with, “Hi, Pal.”

In 2009, Alcoa City Schools Board of Education named the alternate school program the Pershing Academy of Learning (PAL) to honor his memory.

The foundation’s selection committee considers financial need, grade point average, ACT scores, letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities, as well as physical disabilities, health problems, or limited family support when deciding on how to distribute awards, said Jim Pershing, Dennis’ brother.

Board members and Selection Committee Members are Steve Bledsoe, Retired Alcoa Middle School, Assistant Principal; David R. Duggan, Blount County Circuit Court Judge; Al Blankenship, Barry Silver, Rhonda Clark, Jim Pershing, and Ed Pershing.