Five people who are making a difference in their communities will be honored at 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 5 during the eighth annual Hometown Heroes awards ceremony, held in Yeager Recital Hall. Members of the freshman class were asked to nominate people from their hometowns whose contributions to the community are exemplary. Freshman class officers selected this year’s winners, who are:
- Dottie Farley, Eldersburg, Md.-Nominated by Kirby Farley.
A public school teacher for 28 years, Farley has been named Maryland English Teacher of the Year. She has led student trips to Europe, Africa and the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and is dedicated to fighting book censorship in public schools. - John Stutz, Germantown, Md.-Nominated by Rachel Hitt.
A captain in the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue service, Stutz is a manager on the Search and Rescue Team of Maryland. He participated in search and rescue missions after the Oklahoma City bombing, and at the Pentagon following the Sept. 11 attacks. - Angelica Tarplin, Decatur, Ga.-Nominated by Aisha Sims
Tarplin owns a hair salon, where she mentors young stylists and barbers. She hosts an annual hair show in her community, helping young people build self-confidence. She also volunteers as youth and adult choir director at her church. - W.K. White, Hillsborough, N.C.-Nominated by Joseph Allen
White became an advocate for disabled people trying to obtain Social Security benefits after suffering life-threatening injuries as a deputy sheriff in Virginia. A charter member of the National Association of Disability Representatives, White works on behalf of disabled workers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. - Eugene Wile, Ronks, Pa.-Nominated by Benjamin Keeney
Wile is a retired history teacher who established the Wile Scholarship Program, which helps students in his community attend college. Wile, who served in the U.S. Army, volunteers for relief efforts nationwide to help needy homeowners following disasters.