Phyllis Potter Leadership in Education Scholarship
Phyllis Potter attended Clarion University and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Health and Human development. While there, she was a member of the Penn State Thespians and Kappa Phi, a Christ centered organization for women. She taught high school following graduation.
In 1952, she married Robert V. Potter, a graduate forester from Penn State. Forestry assignments eventually led them to U.S. Forest Service Headquarters in Washington, DC, including a one year fellowship in Public Administration at Harvard University.
From Washington, the Potters were assigned to Headquarters, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, in Rome, Italy. Subsequent assignments took them to Pakistan where Mrs. Potter taught school at the Murree Christian School in the shadow of the Himalayan Mountains. Their next overseas stop was the country of Lesotho in South Africa.
After retiring in 1984, the Potters spent a year and a half traveling throughout Europe before moving back to their Maryland home. They found their final retirement area in North Carolina. In 1988, they moved to Mocksville where they could raise horses and Mrs. Potter could share her deep love and interest in serving people and community for the next 24 years.
In that time, she was chaplain of the GFWC-NC Mocksville Woman’s Club, founding board member of the Davie Family YMCA, served on the YMCA Board’s Greater Winston Salem Executive Committee as Vice-Chair of Communications – National & International. Mrs. Potter was recognized as the YMCA Volunteer of the Year, taught aerobics at the YMCA, was on the Board of the Davie County Group Home, and was a member of a breast cancer post-surgery support team.
Phyllis is remembered by her communities as an example of love and service.
The Phyllis Potter Leadership in Education Scholarship is available to a high school senior who will major in Education and has shown leadership in their church and community.