Dr. Sue Darby Scholarship for Leaders
Donation protected
“Your education is the one thing that can’t be taken away from you” - Dr Sue Darby.
One of Sue Darby’s most treasured accomplishments was empowering her students to embrace their own personal power through education. After graduating from Emporia State University, Sue’s career began as a High School English Teacher in Effingham, KS. From there she went on to teach at other high schools before completing her Masters Degree at Wichita State University. She then became an instructor at the Community College level spending over 12 years at Cowley County Community College, eventually serving as a Division Chair for the Humanities Department and Director of the Mulvane Campus. After completing her Doctorate in Education from the University of Texas, Sue became a Dean of Instruction at John Woods Community College and then Hutchinson Community College, where she was a part of the community for 12 years. Sue also became a member of the Higher Learning Commission Peer Review Corps, where she evaluated and recommended the accreditation status for community colleges around the world. In this role, she served as a team chair and lead trainer of more than 1500 evaluators. No matter what role she served in, Sue developed leaders--whether with the HLC Peer Corps, at National American University after her years at Hutchinson, serving students in the two lowest socioeconomic quartiles, or at Baker University post-retirement where she taught online in the doctoral leadership program.
Throughout Sue’s career, her students and colleagues have proclaimed how her dedication was life-changing and she could open up the world in ways you never expected. Upon retirement, Sue was still in demand, with a passion that could never quit. She continued to teach, train, consult and mentor future leaders.
Her many close colleagues describe her as intelligent, wise, humorous, encouraging, loving, energetic, and a catalyst for all things that contributed to either excellence or fun. She will be remembered for her impressive impersonations, her abundant joy, and her creativity and care. She will be most missed for her very enduring friendship. Many, many professionals across the nation call Sue their good friend!
Sue nurtured through education, with an impact spanning far beyond her school students. She was notorious for “adopting” daughters, sons (and pets), whom she mostly met through the schools she served and Leah and Josh: her own two children. Sue Darby did not “adopt” because she saw a lacking, or a position to fill. She embraced those whose success, achievement and personal belief were just beyond their own foresight; and she did what all great educators do: believed in you until you believed in yourself. And of course, she encouraged you to keep learning.
Sue Darby received a sudden stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis in February 2020. In true Sue style, she fought the good fight with elegance, intelligence, and prowess, until she passed on July 9th, 2020.
Those lucky enough to have studied under, been mentored by, and worked alongside Sue Darby cohesively state that Sue’s uniquely joyous, positive, and enduring passion for inspiring future leaders will be missed beyond measure.
A good educator goes beyond the content of what they teach: they position the student within the context of what they are learning, to inspire and awaken the endless opportunities they have before them. Sue Darby had a gift of igniting this personal belief, and motivating leadership qualities within her cohort.
To honor such an incredible legacy, the “Dr. Sue Darby Scholarship for New Leaders” will continue to provide opportunities for those seeking an education. As she so often stated, “Your education is one thing that can’t be taken away from you.” She dedicated her career to creating a better future by educating those bringing the new, urgently needed leadership we need today. What better way to continue her legacy than a scholarship for aspiring leaders!
Please join us in honoring Sue by making a contribution to an endowed scholarship at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, KS. The scholarship shall be made by the Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association Scholarship Committee. With your help, our goal is to raise enough funds for the scholarship to be awarded each year, beginning in 2022.
One of Sue Darby’s most treasured accomplishments was empowering her students to embrace their own personal power through education. After graduating from Emporia State University, Sue’s career began as a High School English Teacher in Effingham, KS. From there she went on to teach at other high schools before completing her Masters Degree at Wichita State University. She then became an instructor at the Community College level spending over 12 years at Cowley County Community College, eventually serving as a Division Chair for the Humanities Department and Director of the Mulvane Campus. After completing her Doctorate in Education from the University of Texas, Sue became a Dean of Instruction at John Woods Community College and then Hutchinson Community College, where she was a part of the community for 12 years. Sue also became a member of the Higher Learning Commission Peer Review Corps, where she evaluated and recommended the accreditation status for community colleges around the world. In this role, she served as a team chair and lead trainer of more than 1500 evaluators. No matter what role she served in, Sue developed leaders--whether with the HLC Peer Corps, at National American University after her years at Hutchinson, serving students in the two lowest socioeconomic quartiles, or at Baker University post-retirement where she taught online in the doctoral leadership program.
Throughout Sue’s career, her students and colleagues have proclaimed how her dedication was life-changing and she could open up the world in ways you never expected. Upon retirement, Sue was still in demand, with a passion that could never quit. She continued to teach, train, consult and mentor future leaders.
Her many close colleagues describe her as intelligent, wise, humorous, encouraging, loving, energetic, and a catalyst for all things that contributed to either excellence or fun. She will be remembered for her impressive impersonations, her abundant joy, and her creativity and care. She will be most missed for her very enduring friendship. Many, many professionals across the nation call Sue their good friend!
Sue nurtured through education, with an impact spanning far beyond her school students. She was notorious for “adopting” daughters, sons (and pets), whom she mostly met through the schools she served and Leah and Josh: her own two children. Sue Darby did not “adopt” because she saw a lacking, or a position to fill. She embraced those whose success, achievement and personal belief were just beyond their own foresight; and she did what all great educators do: believed in you until you believed in yourself. And of course, she encouraged you to keep learning.
Sue Darby received a sudden stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis in February 2020. In true Sue style, she fought the good fight with elegance, intelligence, and prowess, until she passed on July 9th, 2020.
Those lucky enough to have studied under, been mentored by, and worked alongside Sue Darby cohesively state that Sue’s uniquely joyous, positive, and enduring passion for inspiring future leaders will be missed beyond measure.
A good educator goes beyond the content of what they teach: they position the student within the context of what they are learning, to inspire and awaken the endless opportunities they have before them. Sue Darby had a gift of igniting this personal belief, and motivating leadership qualities within her cohort.
To honor such an incredible legacy, the “Dr. Sue Darby Scholarship for New Leaders” will continue to provide opportunities for those seeking an education. As she so often stated, “Your education is one thing that can’t be taken away from you.” She dedicated her career to creating a better future by educating those bringing the new, urgently needed leadership we need today. What better way to continue her legacy than a scholarship for aspiring leaders!
Please join us in honoring Sue by making a contribution to an endowed scholarship at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, KS. The scholarship shall be made by the Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association Scholarship Committee. With your help, our goal is to raise enough funds for the scholarship to be awarded each year, beginning in 2022.
Organizer
Michael Terwindt
Organizer
New York, NY