The Doctor's Tale (26 page)

—MARY D. ROSS, B.A., B.S ED., M. ED., Speech and Theatre Association of Missouri Emeritus, Member of the Hall of Fame of the National Speech and Debate Association

“At the conclusion of the 2011 academic year at Loyola Academy, I attended the Graduation Mass. The

8th graders offered petitions at the Offertory. I noticed they were very hard to understand. Mrs. Claire Applewhite was developing
Voices of Excellence™
at that time, and we discussed the possibility of working with the 6th, 7th, & 8th grade boys, at Loyola! The improvement in 2012, after the introduction of VOE, was stunning! We continue to streamline the program, to fit their curriculum.”

—ANGELA ZYLKA, St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society Alliance

As judges for the students’ presentations, we were impressed by the progress each grade made in developing a coherent and lucid essay and also learning how to present it before an audience in such a short period (since this is a summer program). These young men (as Loyola calls them, not boys) came from disadvantaged environments, often with very poor formal English writing skills and virtually no knowledge of how to present their ideas in a public forum. From that, within a few weeks, through this program, the young participants learned the prerequisites for honing their ideas

and sharing them with others. These newly formed abilities were topped off by the speech contest, which gave them a chance to excel and “win” through their ideas, writings, and presentation skills. For most, if not all, a new experience.

The
Voices of Excellence
program stands as a model for developing skills in writing and oratory. Through these skills, it encourages the young participants to have a sense of pride and achievement in their own intellectual abilities and prepares them for their future in a participatory democracy.

—Pamela A DeVoe, PhD

—Ronald E Mertz, PhD

Claire Applewhite Bio

Claire Applewhite, a mystery and romantic suspense author, is a graduate of St. Louis University. Her published books include
The Wrong Side of Memphis, Crazy For You, St. Louis Hustle, Candy Cadillac, Tennessee Plates and Voices of Excellence.
She is an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri St. Louis, and has served as a Past President of the Missouri Writers Guild and Board member of the Midwest Chapter, Mystery Writers of America. Her organizational memberships include the St. Louis Metropolitan Press Club, St. Louis Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, Ozark Writers League and Mystery Writers of America.