PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES AND AWARDS: Began teaching at Marion High School in social studies in 1973. Designed curriculum for special courses on black and ethnic studies. A member of the Marion Alliance for Black School Educators, she received the Cindy B. Smith Community Service Award from the Marion Chapter of the NAACP and the Whitney Young Award for Community Service from the Marion Urban League. Selected by her peers as MHS Teacher of the Month in February 1997. She coordinates summer school for St. Paul Baptist Church where she is a member. She and her family were featured Ebony magazine in March 1996. She and her husband, Vern Owensby, city youth director, have two children, Kyle and Kellise.

EXCERPTS from comments by colleagues: Known for donating her personal time and resources outside the classroom for such projects as the annual Spring Break College Tour, Mrs. Owensby organized a fund-raising effort last year to bring in $80,000 for 25 students to take an extended tour of Egypt. They saw pictures in their history books come to life on the reddish-yellow sands near the pyramids and the narrow green band of the Nile River. Many had never before been outside of Grant County. To raise money for the college tours and trip to Africa, Mrs. Owensby annually sponsors the school's Black History Club in producing a play performed to sell-out audiences. She never views the effort as a sacrifice, but she gives of her own financial resources for students who otherwise would not be able to take part. Afterward, she arranged a special open house for students to share their experiences and thank the community for its support. Mrs. Owensby's superintendent calls her "a gentle giant and a superintendent's dream," praising her passion for students, her influence, and her impact on students, colleagues, and the community. "She is dedicated to excellence, she expects it from all students, and she models it on a daily basis," he adds. Other teachers speak of her as their mentor, or the one who welcomed them and supported them as they began teaching in the Marion schools. Excitement is ongoing in her classes and the number of students enrolled continues to rise. The school newspaper quoted her this way: "The greatest joy of teaching is in being able to see the excitement in students when they accomplish something that I am teaching." She challenges students intellectually and quietly conveys her belief that learning takes serious commitment and effort. She also was quoted in the school newspaper about her philosophy of living, saying: "My parents always taught me and the other 11 of their children to set goals and to stick with something, to never quit." The children who pass through her classes today are the benefactors of this wise advice. She is one of Marion's greatest assets.