HdG Art Teacher Inducted into Harford County Board of Education Hall of Fame

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — A teacher who has opened the eyes of generations of students in Havre de Grace to the world of art was inducted Monday night into the Harford County Board of Education Hall of Fame.

Yolanda Waldon Presberry was one of three educators inducted at the board's Sept. 26 meeting.

Here is what the school board said about her selection:

"Yolanda Waldon Presberry was raised in Havre de Grace. She attended college at University of
College Park, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Art Education.

"Mrs. Presberry’s grandfather, aunt, uncle, and cousins, all educators and administrators, greatly
influenced her to become a teacher. She was hired as an art teacher at Havre de Grace Middle
School in 1977, and remained teaching there for her entire career. She never had the desire to
leave her school community.

"Mrs. Presberry enjoyed teaching every day and loved watching her students become creative and
learn new art techniques. Mrs. Presberry was passionate about introducing students to Art History, artists and their styles. Each quarter, she took students to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, where they could see art work from around the world.

"Some of Mrs. Presberry’s major projects during her tenure with Harford County Public Schools
were getting her students to participate in the countywide art show each year and getting them
involved in an art display within the school system. For example, a group of her former students
have a mural hung at the Harford Glen campsite.

"In addition, she spearheaded many community initiatives, such as making Thanksgiving and
Christmas cards for delivery to the local nursing homes and designing posters for the American
Legions in Havre de Grace, bumper stickers for the local police departments, and banners for the
Havre de Grace Middle School marching band. One of her biggest challenges annually was
decorating the entire school for the Decoy Show every May. Her students loved it!

"She consistently strived to have a positive impact on her students beyond the walls of her
classroom. Mrs. Presberry utilized her artistic abilities to visually enhance the school building
and assist her co-workers with classroom murals and seasonal decorations throughout the entire
building. She built a rapport with students that over the years would spread to generations of
students from the same family. Her role at Havre de Grace Middle also extended beyond the
traditional school year, with positions held during the weeks of summer school. Mrs. Presberry
worked to set the example for students to follow. Even into her retirement years, she still works
with students, hoping to instill in them behaviors and values that will carry them into a
successful adulthood.

"Her biggest reward as an educator was seeing so many of her former students become successful adults with careers and an understanding and appreciation for fine arts! Several of her former students have shared that they have been to Europe and all over the world to see art she introduced during her years of instruction.

"Mrs. Presberry was the recipient of many accolades throughout her career, including being
named a finalist for Harford County Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2005. She received
honors from the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the American Legion of Havre De Grace and
Harford County Parks and Recreation.

"In 2010, Mrs. Presberry retired from teaching art at Havre de Grace Middle School. Her current
hobbies include painting, drawing, photography, gardening, exercising and event planning. In
addition, she has illustrated three books and is presently working on another one."

Image via Shutterstock.