Keeton named Educator of Year

By Alison James

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

Acclaim in many forms has come to the Russellville rocketry team, but Oct. 29 sponsor Mark Keeton will receive recognition of his own when he is honored as the National Space Club Huntsville Educator of the Year Award.

Keeton said he was stunned when principal Dr. Karen Thorn told him he had been chosen for the award.

“I didn’t have much of a reaction at first because I was pretty shocked to hear the news,” he said. “Once it all sunk in, I felt extremely honored to win such an award from a well-respected group.”

Keeton said the Russellville rocket team’s success in Paris, France, this summer allowed him to be nominated – someone from the Space Club contacted the school to get a recommendation. Natalie Bendall wrote the letter of recommendation.

Established in 1996, the National Space Club Huntsville Educator of the Year Award is presented to an educator who has made an outstanding contribution in kindergarten through twelfth grade in the STEM disciplines.

Keeton, in his fifth year of teaching English at Russellville Middle School, said he knows it “sounds odd that an English teacher won an award for education in the STEM field.”

“A large part of the competitions RCS Engineering participates in deal with writing proposals, writing scripts, performance and public speaking. This is where I feel my knowledge and theatre background becomes an asset to the team,” Keeton said. “You could say that it’s STEM(E) education with a silent ‘E’ at the end: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (and English).”

Keeton said he is grateful for the guidance, leadership, support and help given by Lee Brownell, Joseph Cole, Tracy Burns, superintendents Rex Mayfield and Heath Grimes and all the administration, faculty and staff – past and present – at RCS.

Keeton will be honored for his award at the 27th Annual Wernher von Braun Memorial Celebration dinner at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Oct. 29.