¨Mrs. Chumley has pushed the bounds of what the meaning of teaching should be,¨ Wave Media Editor-in-Chief Rico Morris said.

On October 26, 2022, the Golden Wave Media set off to the MSPA conference in Hattiesburg, MS at the University of Southern Mississippi. It was there that Tupelo High School’s very own Shari Chumley was given the title of the Caroline Fair Yearbook Adviser of the Year by Mississippi Scholastic Press Association.

Mrs. Chumley has been considered for this title four times out of the twelve years she has been a yearbook sponsor. ¨She sort of embodies what it means to be a scholastic journalism adviser.¨ RJ Morgan said. Morgan is the Director of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association and has been a long-time friend and co-worker of Chumley.

¨She cares deeply about both her students and the work that they produce. She is a constant motivator.¨ Morgan said. “Chumley is an exceptional teacher and role model who has excited her students and helped them write and grow. She cares immensely for her yearbook and publication programs but mainly she cares about her students.”

¨The moment when [my students] found out that I was named the advisor the year was better than even being named the advisor the year,¨ Chumley said. “They were so excited and proud.”

Chumley sees herself as a role model and works to constantly help her students adjust to the new norms of the media.

¨I want to be a better yearbook advisor because I want my students to be better journalists,¨ Chumley said.

Chumley has kept the program alive by flipping the THS yearbook program on its head and making changes to evolve along with today’s fast-paced media by posting on social media and TikTok.

¨I consider Miss Chumley to be one of the most outstanding not just advisors but educators in the state of Mississippi and am proud to call her a friend and colleague,¨ Morgan said.

Chumley constantly helps her students and is willing to lend a helping hand to anyone willing to ask for it. She is more than just a teacher, she is an editor, boss, and mentor to all of her students.

¨I run my classroom more as a newsroom,¨ Chumley said.

If you were to walk into A116, you wouldn’t just see a classroom. You would see a room full of individuality and innovative people. The vibe is more of a lounge with a couch, several chairs and many floor pillows and bean bags. Students are encouraged to be comfortable to keep those creative juices flowing.

¨No one has ever cultivated such a heartwarming yet creatively expressive atmosphere,¨ Morris said.

Chumley is a kind person who cares greatly about her students and colleagues. She has made a safe space for students to let their creativity shine.

¨She has an infinitely sweet personality that can light up the darkest of rooms,¨ Morris said.

Chumley has worked so hard not for this award but for her program and for her students as she has built the print journalism program organization from the ground up.

She has poured her heart and soul into the next generation of reporters and has helped build a brighter future for the young journalist who started to become part of the press.

¨Mrs. Chumley nourishes a new reflective and spectacular view of what it means to be a journalist, pioneering our ideas to compose an extraordinary publication,¨ Morris said.

Chumley has helped many aspiring journalists over the course of her time here and will continue to help many more for years to come.