CHS class project leads to research about successful CHS graduate, Professor James Franklin Sharp, including Zoom video Q & A interview between Chester and New York City

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. and CHESTER, Ill. — Mrs. Sara Hammel is an English / Language Arts Teacher at Chester High School in Chester, Illinois.

Mrs. Sara Hammel

A Class Project in one of Mrs. Hammel’s English Classes for CHS Seniors is to evaluate the CHS Library And Media Center. And make recommendations how it can be updated and improved. However, a problem is a shortage of funds.

Mrs. Hammel indicated that a possible source of extra funding to update and improve the CHS Library And the Media Center would be to use some of the funds donated annually by a successful 1954 CHS graduate, Professor James Franklin Sharp, who lives and works in New York City.

Most of the students were aware of the CHS Professor Sharp Bench, the Sharp Cafeteria, and the Sharp Entrance Lobby.

Prof. James Franklin Sharp

A few were aware of his CHS annual Sharp Donations, the annual Sharp Scholarships, and the Sharp Graduation Talks every ten years (next in 2024). But, they all became interested in finding out more about Professor Sharp. They decided they would take time to do research about him. And try to see how he achieved professional and financial success after graduating from CHS.

The students have been gathering publicly available information about Professor Sharp. But, they also wanted to ask him some questions before completing their report about him.

So, Mrs. Hammel was able to arrange for a Zoom Video Q & A Interview between CHS and Professor Sharp’s Office in New York City.

Questions asked by Mrs. Hammel’s students in the Zoom Meeting were:

Childhood:

What was it like growing up in Chester?

What are some of your favorite memories during your time at CHS?
classes /teachers
extra curricular activities
proudest moment
most humorous moment
Graduation

3.What was one of your greatest challenges growing up?

Work

We understand you were a Professor at Rutgers University and New York University.

What did you teach, for how many years, and what was the greatest lesson you feel you taught and took away during your tenure there?

What is your current job title and why did you choose this career?

What do you do on a daily basis at work?

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment to be?

Did you have a backup career choice?

6.To what extent has Covid-19 affected your work?

What qualities do you feel are important for an educator to embody?

Life now

What made you decide to move to New York?

What is the best life lesson you have learned?

We have obtained the link to your graduation speech on YouTube, but are there any words of wisdom or encouragement you would like to reiterate here as well?
Why donate to CHS after graduating?