The Hopewell Academy of Forestville, Maryland, is the realization of a dream of its founder and principal, Sister Marilyn Hopewell. She has been an exemplary teacher, administrator and principal for over 40 years in schools in Chicago, Detroit, and the local metropolitan area.

Just this fall (2004), Sister Marilyn was finally able to open her own academy in honor of her late father – a sharecropper who could not read or write until Marilyn herself taught him the rudiments of organizing sounds into letters and letters into words – thus opening him to the power and beauty of written language.

This belief in her father's capacity to be taught – even as an adult with a lifetime of social exclusion behind him – is fundamental to Sister Marilyn's continued faith in the intrinsic "teachability" of all people. With her strong belief and convictions, Sister Marilyn has poured substantial amounts of her own money into the realization of her dream of opening her own school. Today, her academy educates children from all walks of life – especially those traditionally underserved because of community, ethnicity or monetary considerations.

The parents who enroll their children in this venture share Sister Marilyn's dream of a small school with dedicated, enthusiastic teachers. They believe in the Hopewell Academy's philosophy of strong parental involvement, small class sizes and emphasis on building moral character and social responsibility.

For her vision, perseverance, and belief in the "Hope" of her name and school, I nominate Sister Marilyn Hopewell as my "Hero."

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