• Donna Hooker Topping, Class of 1966

    Introduction of Donna Hooker Topping writtern and presented by Jazmyn Hudson, Class of 2010.

    Most of us strive for excellence and want to do nothing more than succeed. Dr. Donna Hooker Topping made sure to do just this with her life.

    Dr. Topping graduated from Oxford Area High School in 1966. She then received her B.S. in elementary education from West Chester State College in 1971.

    In 1975 Dr. Topping received her Master's in reading education. She taught in the Oxford Area School District for 22 years, serving as a first grade reading specialist for five years and Supervisor of Reading and Language Arts for 17 years.

    Dr. Topping received her Ph. D. in literacy education at the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. She taught at Lincoln University for five years and is now a full-time Professor of Literacy Education at Millersville University.

    Dr. Topping has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at Millersville for 12 years. She teaches "Teaching in Literarcy" in her undgraduate course and "Foundations of Reading and Writing" and "Content Area Reading and Writing" in her graduate courses. In addition, she is co-director of the annual Pennsylvania Writing Institute.

    Dr. Topping has written three books: Real Reading, Real Writing: Content Area Strategies, "Getting" Grammar and Stuck in the Middle. These books were co-authored with Oxford Area School District's own Roberta McManus, whom Dr. Topping has been working with for over 30 years.

    Along with writing books, Dr. Topping has also written a number of articles whch have been published in professional journals. She has presented papers at conferences in Switzerland, Scotland, Hungary, Italy and Canada.

    In 1990 Dr. Topping was named an Outstanding Woman of Achievement in Chester County. She was the first runner up for Outstanding Professor at Lincoln University in 1993.

    And aside from all her academic endeavors, Dr. Topping is still the organist at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Oxford.

    It is my pleasure to present the next member of the Oxford Area High School Distinguished Alumni Class of 2010, Dr. Donna Hooker Topping.