Sources |
- [S113] Manes Funeral Home, (http://www.manesfuneralhome.com), 2 Mar 2007.
Dovie Sane Presnell obituary
- [S113] Manes Funeral Home, (http://www.manesfuneralhome.com), 3 Jul 2010.
Charles Edward Ivy obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 7 Mar 2011.
Ivy strives to make a difference
by ELLEN BROWN
Sissy Ivy credits her students as much as herself for being named the 2011 Sevier County Schools Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Sissy Ivy, Sevier County High School culinary arts teacher, is extremely modest — almost shy — about her recognition as 2011 Sevier County Schools Secondary Teacher of the Year.
“I’m a worker, not a showboat,” the Newport native said. “This is not a one-woman show — these kids work hard every day. Some are here as early as 5 a.m., and some are here late at night.”
Ivy is taking a rare break in between teaching her students and helping them prepare for the lunch crowd at their Bear Paws Café and Catering on a Thursday afternoon.
Her students are also involved in community events and local organizations, such as catering for the school’s annual Veteran’s Day program, making gingerbread for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and the Fantasy of Trees at Christmas and raising money for various local charities.
Ivy has been teaching for five years. Previously, she worked at Food City for more than 10 years before she became executive pastry chef at Dollywood.
“Dollywood’s food director, Joe Lindsey, challenged me to be the best. He challenged me to go to college.”
With the help of Dollywood, Ivy attended Walters State Community College, Lincoln Memorial University and the University of South Carolina.
This past summer, she attended the New England culinary Institute in Vermont to receive Pro Start certification so her students would be eligible for scholarships and college credit.
“I decided it was going to be all or nothing. If you’re going to do something, I think you should do it with your whole heart.”
It was this work ethic that appealed to former SCHS principal Gary Roach, who called Ivy and told her he was interested in interviewing her for a job.
“I told him, ‘I’m not a teacher,’ and he said, ‘But we heard you were the best.’ I prayed about it. I had been in the food industry a long time, and I felt like it was time for me to give back.”
The youngest of seven children, Ivy was the only one to attend college because of her family’s financial situation.
“My mom passed away before I became a teacher,” she said with a sad smile.
Both her son and husband have served in Iraq — her son with the U.S. Air Force, her husband with the U.S. Army National Guard. Her son is stationed in Korea right now, and her husband works for Bush Brothers when he’s not working the service.
She also has a daughter and two grandchildren.
With family and work responsibilities, she somehow finds time to cater for her church, Calvary Baptist Tabernacle in Newport, of which she is an active member.
She has served as mentor eight different teachers from different counties and has provided assistance on state programs as well.
“The support has been wonderful here for the past five years. I feel very blessed the Lord put me here. I wouldn’t change jobs for anything.
“I want to be that teacher who touches kids’ lives. I think that should be the desire of every teacher.”
ebrown@themountainpress.com
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 9 May 2013.
Ivy honored with Faces of Diversity award
Author: Katie Pittser
NEWPORT-The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRSEF) recently named Newport resident Sissy Ivy one of the recipients of the 2013 Faces of Diversity Award, a national award given to those who represent the diversity and spirit of entrepreneurship of the restaurant industry.
Ivy is a ProStart Educator at the Sevier County Career and Technical Center where she teaches Culinary I, II, and III.
"I have worked as an educator for the past six years," said Ivy. "Most of the time, when you have a job, you expect instant rewards rather than taking your time and working your way up. Well, I get instant rewards every day when I see these kids in our program grow into young people. That is very gratifying as a teacher."
Ivy was nominated for the Faces of Diversity Award by her students.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 7 May 2013.
National Restaurant Association honors Sevierville teacher
Jill Frye
Culinary arts instructor Sissy Ivy (center) often works right alongside her students. Here, she assists Ivy Thorbergson and Brianna Conrick with food preparation.
SEVIERVILLE —
Sissy Ivy, culinary arts instructor at Sevier County High School, never planned to become a teacher, but her influence with students has been astounding.
Nominated by her students, Ivy was recently honored as one of three winners of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Faces of Diversity American Dream Award. She accepted her award at an April 17 ceremony during the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C.
“I was honored and humbled when I received the call from Washington,” Ivy said. “I didn’t even know I’d been nominated.”
While Ivy has been involved in the food industry for over 20 years, she has only been teaching for the last six. Still, she says it’s one of the most rewarding jobs she’s ever had.
“It’s not about awards. It’s about what I can give back to my students,” she said.
Wil Keener, one of Ivy’s students, said the program has assisted him in several ways. “It’s helped me with leadership skills, working with others, time management – just squeezing things in – I play football, too, and we don’t just work during school. There have been times we have been here at 5 a.m. and times we’ve been here at midnight,” he said.
“Mrs. Ivey has helped us a lot,” he added. “She helps us get scholarship money, and she helps us with our competitions. She stresses the importance of going on to college, too.”
After graduation, Keener will attend Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., where he plans to major in culinary arts and nutrition.
David DuKarski, another senior enrolled in the program, said, “She really cares about us, and about what we want to do after we leave high school. She wants to help us get there.”
DuKarski will also attend Johnson & Wales, where he plans to major in restaurant/food service management and culinary arts.
Through hard work and perseverance, Ivy herself worked her way into a successful career. Her first job was working in the bakery and deli at Food City in Newport.
“When you’re young, and someone sees something in you, it really makes a difference,” she said. “They were so encouraging and so good to me that I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
Since her first job, Ivy has come a long way, but she loves the food industry today just as much as she loved it then. Part of what she loves is the challenge and diversity the industry offers.
“Today I might be teaching soups and stocks, but tomorrow might be beef and fish. Every day offers something different,” she said. “The industry is always evolving and growing, and there is always more to learn.”
As a ProStart instructor, Ivy is responsible for a three-year program that offers college credit, industry certification, community service and on-the-job experience.
But to her students, she is more than just a teacher. “I want to be the person who says, Yes, you can, and I’m going to help you get there,” she said. “So many people have empty words. I want to put those words into action.”
One of seven children growing up in a single-family home, Ivy came from poverty. It wasn’t until after she was married that she had the opportunity to attend college.
“I have 12 kids graduating this year, and all are registered for college, but graduation isn’t the end result,” Ivy said. “Attending college isn’t the end result. The end result is being productive, valuable members of society. I’m just so thankful to be a tiny little part of their story.”
jfrye@themountainpress.com
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