LEAVING A LASTING LEGACY

THARPTOWN – Over the past 21 years, Tharptown schools have seen a plethora of changes as students and teachers alike come and go and the education landscape continues to evolve.

One constant over those two decades, however, has been high school librarian Melissa Harrison, who has watched the school system blossom from a junior high school to one of the fastest-growing institutions in Franklin County.

Now, as the school nears the graduation of its 20th class as a high school, it prepares to say goodbye to Harrison as she is slated for retirement next month.

As one of only two remaining employees who have been with the high school from the very beginning, Harrison now reminisces on those first years of the school’s existence.

“Starting the new school was a lot of fun, but there was a lot of pressure too because everything we did was a first for the school,” Harrison said. “It was stressful those first few years, but it was so fun.”

Harrison’s education career has spanned 31 years with stints at the Colbert County and Decatur City school systems.

When she joined the staff at Tharptown, which was only kindergarten through ninth grade at the time, Harrison taught history for half the day while the other half was spent overseeing a distance learning class.

The following school year, she became the school’s only certified librarian — a position she would hold for the next two decades.

While she spends most of her time today inside a new, state-of-the-art library completed in 2015, things were not always this glamorous for Harrison and the school.

CONTRIBUTED/DAN BUSEY
Melissa Harrison is one of only two remaining employees who have been with the Tharptown High School from its beginning.

The first library she called home was in the former Tharptown Junior High School lunchroom, which was relatively small.

From there, she moved to a library converted from a former classroom. Eventually she even had to use a mobile classroom trailer separated from the main high school building for a number of years.

Now she resides in what could be considered a Taj Mahal of libraries compared to what she has previously had to work with — but it didn’t come without its challenges along the way.

“It’s an undertaking because you’ve got 5,000 to 6,000 books and you have to move them and put them in order and to do that several times was a lot,” Harrison said. “But it was an experience that I’m really grateful for.”

Harrison is undoubtedly proud of her library, but the thing she enjoys the most about her job is seeing the success and happiness of her students after they leave the school.

Currently, Harrison works with a dozen or so Wildcat graduates who have returned to their alma mater to serve in positions ranging from teachers to aides and school nurses.

“I love when I go on Facebook and see my former students getting married or getting great jobs and that they’re doing so well,” Harrison said. “I’m so proud of them and what each of them have accomplished.”

High school secretary Christy Dill is the other employee who has been with Tharptown High School for the entirety of its existence.

However, while Dill was born and raised in the community, and even graduated from Tharptown when it was simply a junior high school, Harrison was an outsider who came on board.

For Harrison, who said she had plenty of other career opportunities over the years, being a Wildcat went deeper than just being her day-to-day job. From her first week on campus, Harrison said she fell in love with not just the school itself, but the Tharptown community.

Just one week after beginning her tenure at Tharptown, Harrison would be diagnosed with breast cancer. As she dealt with the disease, she said the compassion from her colleagues and community members drove home just how special a place Tharptown is.

“When I started my treatment, I was missing work and I was worried about not getting hired back, but everyone here was just so great and helped me along the way,” Harrison said. “It was just so family oriented and I just loved that about this place.”

CONTRIBUTED/DAN BUSEY
Melissa Harrison, who will retire next month, has been the librarian for Tharptown High School for the past 20 years.

For Harrison and Dill, the two have understandably become close over the past two decades. In addition to their daily duties, both also oversee the prom and graduation festivities each year.

For Harrison, overseeing graduations is more than simply making sure students show up and follow procedures.

While she has “caught flack” for her firm stance on the dress code for graduations, which includes wearing ties and dress shoes for male students, the night is meant to be a momentous occasion for students, and she goes above and beyond to ensure no student goes without.

“I’ve bought clothes for kids who don’t have say a dress shirt or a tie or whatever it may be because this is a big deal for them and if they can’t do it, I’m going to make sure they can,” Harrison said.

Once the newest class of graduates move their tassels and toss their caps into the air, Harrison will have watched close to 900 students receive their diplomas dating back to the school’s first graduating class in 2008.

More often than not, Harrison and Dill have worked together when it comes to school-related projects. The daily interactions she has become accustomed to over the past two decades, Dill said, is something she will miss most when Harrison retires in May.

“Our personalities are so different, but I think that’s what makes us work and such a good team,” Dill said. “She’s a go-getter and I’ve always admired that about her. But she treats everyone the same across the board and that’s just so unique and I love that about her.”

While sad to see her friend, colleague and “go to person” leave, Dill said she is excited to see what the next chapter holds for Harrison.

“The fact she wasn’t part of this community and came in here and fell in love with it just speaks to who she is as a person,” Dill said. “Her love and willingness to help make this school better is the legacy I think she’ll leave behind. I’m going to miss her being here every day, but I’m happy for her at the same time.”

When the next school year begins, Harrison will be on the outside looking in. Despite the fact she will no longer be a member of the faculty and staff, Harrison said she has high hopes for the future of Tharptown High School.

“I hope the school continues to grow the way it is,” Harrison said. “I hope they get more classrooms, more facilities and things like that because I know firsthand what it’s like to go without. And the students and this community deserve to have more.”

Harrison said she plans to continue working part-time as a librarian at Northwest Shoals Community College to keep busy.

Regardless of what the next chapter holds for her, Harrison knows Tharptown will always hold a special place in her heart.

“I truly have been blessed to be in a place where everyone loves each other this way,” Harrison said. “I love these students and I love this community and it has all just been such a big blessing in my life to be here.”