Avicia H. Thorpe Scholarship

Great teachers are among our society’s greatest treasures. Most of us possess fond memories of a teacher whose wisdom, knowledge or simple acts of caring made a lasting impression on our lives.  Seeking no recognition for their significant impact on our lives, their reward was in the knowing that by their hand and their heart, another’s life was made better.  Mrs. Avicia Hooper Thorpe served as a model of excellence not only for her students, but for other educators.  Born in Danville, Virginia in 1908, Mrs. Thorpe grew up in a family of ten children.  Her father passed when Mrs. Thorpe was very young.  Her mother and siblings provided a strong and steady foundation of love and support.  Mrs. Thorpe graduated from Pittsylvania Industrial School and Presbyterian Industrial School. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Bluefield State College in 1933.  Mrs. Thorpe joined the faculty of John M. Langston (then known as Westmoreland High School) where she taught English.  She later became the head of the Language Arts Department. Mrs. Thorpe actively worked with many school organizations to support and inspire students in the pursuit of academic excellence.  She was the founder of the Langstonian, the school’s newspaper.  Students were also inspired by her selection of thought-provoking quotations.  The widow of the late pastor Reverend C.M. Thorpe, Mrs. Thorpe has devoted her life to education, the church and her community.