Pictured are new 25-Year Club members in Wetzel County Schools: Sandra Hinerman, Beverly VanScyoc, and Tammy Wells. (Photo by Bill Abraham)

The following “Twenty-Five Year Club Honorees” were honored at Monday night’s meeting of the Wetzel County board of Education:

Diane Brown graduated from Ridgway Area High School in Ridgway, Pa., in 1975. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1979. Brown began her career teaching special education in Shelocta, Pa., in 1980. She then followed her husband’s career to different parts of the country. In 1983 she moved to Texas and spent the next four years teaching in Rosenberg and Tyler, Texas, as a special educator. She then spent the next three years teaching special education for the South Fulton Schools in Warfordsburg, Pa. Brown began working for Wetzel County Schools in October 1999 as a special educator at New Martinsville School and is presently teaching special education at Magnolia High School.

Sandra Geho graduated from West Greene High School. She began her career with Wetzel County Schools working as a half-time cook and custodian at Hundred High School in 1989. Starting in 1992, she worked as a custodian at Hundred High School. In August 1993, Geho became a full-time cook at Long Drain School, and in August 2005 she became the cafeteria manager and head cook at Long Drain School, where she remains today. Geho also worked as a summer cook for many years. She is retiring at the end of this school year.

Sandra Hinerman is a 1981 graduate of North Marion High School. She graduated from Fairmont State College with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and science in 1985. Hinerman also received her master’s degree in education from Salem-Teikyo University in 1997. Hinerman began working as a substitute and homebound teacher in Wetzel County starting in 1986. Her first teaching position was at Madison HIgh School in Madison, Ky., in 1985, where she taught mathematics. Hinerman began teaching in Wetzel County Schools in 1986 where she was assigned to Short Line School to teach mathematics. In 1987, she transferred to Magnolia HIgh School as a mathematics teacher, and in 1989 she began teaching mathematics at both Magnolia and Paden City High School. In 1993, Hinerman later began teaching half-time at MHS and half-time at the Wetzel County Technology Center. In 1996, she began teaching at both Magnolia and Paden City High Schools again. In 1999, Hinerman began teaching at MHS on a full-time basis, where she remains today.

Beverly VanScyoc is a 1981 graduate of North Marion High School. She graduated from Fairmont State College in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology and business administration. VanScyoc received her master’s degree in counseling and guidance from West Virginia University in 2005. She began her counseling career working at Try-Again Homes, Inc. from 1987 to 1993 where she was a caseworker and supervisor. In 1995, she went to work for Monongalia County Schools as a social worker, where she remained until 2008. She was hired by Wetzel County Schools as a school counselor for Long Drain School and Hundred High School starting in the fall on 2008 where she remains. She is in her 26th year of service as a counselor; the board counts all of those years toward the 25-Year Club honor.

Tammy Holbert Wells is a 1985 graduate of Valley High School. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from West Virginia University in 1985. Wells later received her master’s degree in education administration from WVU in 1989. Her teaching career began in 1986 at Waitman Barbe Junior High School in Booth, W.Va., where she taught language arts for two years. Wells worked for one year at WVU, where she supervised student teachers and taught in the C&I department. Starting in 1989, she worked the next nine years in the Baltimore City Schools as an elementary teacher. She returned to Wetzel County Schools in 1998 where she was hired as an assistant principal at New Martinsville School. In 1999, Wells was named principal at VHS where she served in that position for the next seven-and-a-half years. While principal at VHS, Wells won the prestigious Milken Award as an outstanding educator. Wells was appointed Director of School Improvement at the county office in 2006, where she still remains.

Hinerman, VanScyoc, and Wells were all present Monday night to be recognized for their services to Wetzel County Schools. Hinerman, with emotion in her voice, thanked all the other “really special people” who mentored her, while VanScyoc said it was “such a blessing” to work in the Wetzel County School System.

Wells described her work as “a great gig . . . a wonderful ride. I have no complaints.”