The TCCHS Alumni Foundation, Inc. is partnering with WEKT to spotlight alumni of TCCHS to celebrate the first 60 years of TCCHS’s existence.
As most know, Todd Central first opened its doors in the fall of 1963, and the Foundation and WEKT want to provide ‘snippets’ of facts about those who have exited the doors of TCCHS. With a span of 60 years, a cautious estimate of approximately 7500 or more students have become graduates of TCCHS. As we also know, many other students have attended TCCHS for less than four years, and we welcome responses from those students as well.
If someone had time to track down all the many students who have attended TCCHS during those six decades, the result would be mind-boggling. I just recently heard of a young lady who attended TC for at least a year before she moved to Massachusetts with her mother. Sadly, this young lady, Chandra Lekha Sriram, passed away in September of 2018. Born in Texas in 1971, Chandra earned early admission to Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, receiving her associate’s degree in 1989. Later, she obtained both a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in international relations from the University of Chicago simultaneously in 1991. An author of several books, she was also awarded a doctorate in law by the University of California-Berkeley in 1994 and a Ph.D. in Politics by Princeton University in 2000. More about Chandra’s amazing life can be found at https://lachandra.org. Those few facts alone reveal the caliber of this young lady.
Obviously, without the assistance of alumni of TCCHS and students who have attended TCCHS, the Foundation’s partnership with WEKT will not be a successful effort. A simple form to complete is available on the TCCHS Alumni Foundation’s website at https://tcchs-alumni.org/news-of-interest/. The form itself has questions that can be completed with little investment of time. We are also proud to announce the first alumna of TCCHS to complete the form is Libby Sims Lancaster, a 1974 graduate of TCCHS. Many older Todd Countians will recall the late Mr. Glen Sims, and Libby, the oldest of the four Sims sisters, graciously completed the form a few days ago. Forms can be downloaded, and answers can be sent to the Foundation’s email address at tcchsaa@gmail.com.
Libby, one known for her extraordinary singing voice, attended Christian County Area Vocational School and HCC. For 31 years full time and six and a half years parttime, Libby served as a Certified Water Treatment Plant Operator/Water Quality Specialist. She noted on the questionnaire, “I value the solid grounding in all areas I received from those four years at TCCHS. Even without a college degree, I was able to function in a technically demanding field.” When asked what advice she would give to TCCHS’s students, she replied, “Take the harder courses. Stretch yourself.” In commenting on her advice for today’s educators, she admonishes them to teach students “to think outside the box and to think critically.” Adding she still knows the “Hallelujah” chorus” almost by heart, she also shared the memory she treasured the most was being able to sing excerpts from Handel’s Messiah in Mr. George Mills’ class. Libby and her husband have two children and make their home in the Pembroke area.
WEKT has plans to share these snippets of facts about those who have walked the halls of TCCHS during those six decades! Both WEKT and the Foundation are eager to learn more about the many students who have exited TCCHS with quite a few of those students living not only across our country but across the world as well. Please lend us a ‘helping hand’ to make this partnership a strong one!
Article by Carolyn L. Wells
September 24, 2023
