10s of Oxford Shine in Education, Business and Baseball

Beth Fitts has spent much of her professional career teaching journalism to Oxford High School students.
Fitts graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in English and took a job teaching. When she and husband DeDe moved to Oxford, she was hired to advise the student newspaper, as well as duel-teach English and Journalism at the high school level.  During that time Fitts also got her masters in journalism.
The passion for teaching journalism for Fitts came from?
“I saw people develop something not just a skill in journalism, but something that would help them later on, like a work ethic, integrity, self-esteem and ‘I can do it’ philosophy,” said Fitts.  “It’s about the life skills that are really going to help people that I really saw in journalism.”
Fitts helped coordinate with the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association and its bi-annual workshops. The events took place on the Ole Miss campus, utilizing the University’s technology and professors to extend journalism beyond Farley Hall. The purpose of MSPA and the workshops is to help high schools and students across the state improve their journalistic skills.
In 2004, Fitts was nominated as the Mississippi Teacher of the Year, but the night before the ceremony in Jackson, one of her daughter’s sports trophies fell from a shelf. It read ‘First Alternate’ and Fitts took it as a sign that this wasn’t her year. She traveled Jackson and accepted the award as first alternate.
The dedicated teacher recognized the incident as a sign from above telling her even better things were in her future. Just weeks later, she got the phone call that she had been named the National Teacher of Year instead.
In 2008, Fitts retired from teaching at Oxford High School to focus on MSPA full-time at Ole Miss.
[dhr]

Carol Forsythe’s constant service to Ole Miss students has earned her recognition as a 10 of Oxford.
Forsythe is one of two winners of the Thomas Frist Student Service Awards. She’ll receive the honor during the August commencement ceremony.
Forsythe, the senior secretary in legal studies at Odom Hall, said she was shocked when Chancellor Dan Jones called to inform her she was chosen for the award.
At work, Forsythe helps the department chair and 14 faculty members with a wide variety of functions, from sending a fax or typing a test. She also handles department accounts and property, and helps students input their schedules and clear up any problems.
The recipient of the award receives $1,000 and a plaque.
In a recent interview with HottyToddy.com Forsythe said, “If they have a problem and they’re panicking, I always tell them I’m here if they need me,” she said.
[dhr]

Jenner Jordan is a local Oxford resident and  Ole Miss student who has started his own business, Skymasters Photography.
Over the past few months, Jordan has gotten great footage of important events in the area like Double Decker and the tornado damage in Tupelo. He operates an aerial drone that can capture great images from the sky and every imaginable angle.
Last week when the city of Tupelo was hit by a devastating tornado, Jordan captured images that helped HottyToddy.com’s audience fully comprehend the damage and mobilized them to offer help in many ways.
“From the ground, I can fly the aircraft into tight spots or to extreme heights,” he said.
[dhr]

Ole Miss senior catcher and a captain Will Allen has been a solid foundation for the Rebels this season.
Allen is a Gainesville, Fla. native and a graduate of Buchholz High School with above average stats as a first baseman and catcher. He lettered all four years in high school, ending his scholastic career with a batting average of .465, 28 home runs, 103 RBI, and scored 99 runs himself. Allen was a First Team Class 6A All-State selection twice.
Over his senior season, Allen has contributed the second highest batting average on the team, hitting at a .360 clip, with seven home runs and 50 RBI. He is also second in the league with the 50 RBI, right behind A.J. Reed of Kentucky.
The Ole Miss catcher is hopeful that this will be the year the Rebels make it all the way to the College World Series in Omaha.
“The SEC is the greatest conference in college baseball,” Allen said. “There is great competition and the best fans; every game is a dogfight. This is what we signed up for and why we came here.”
[dhr]
Do you know someone who qualifies as a 10 of Oxford? Nominate them for a chance to be spotlighted in this series! Email your nomination to andy.knef@hottytoddy.com!