Channel 5 Profiles My Fifth-Grade Teacher

Education |
By David Stokes | Read Time 1 minute

KSDK NewsChannel 5 in St. Louis had a profile last night about educators making a difference in children’s lives. They chose to highlight Sister Gail Trippett of Central Catholic St. Nicholas School, whom I remember fondly as my fifth-grade teacher at Immaculate in Richmond Heights. She was a young nun at the time, and she was a great teacher. It is great to see KSDK highlighting the incredible work that Catholic schools do in Missouri.

My primary educational memory of fifth grade was the Modern Woodmen of America speech competition, where every student in grades 5?8 competed in the same oratory contest. I came in second in the entire school, as a fifth grader, which my mother was very proud of. The next year, as a sixth grader, I came in second again, once again losing to an eighth grader. Then they cancelled the competition, just as I was about to begin a dynasty. But I’m not bitter.

About the Author

David Stokes is a St. Louis native and a graduate of Saint Louis University High School and Fairfield (Conn.) University. He spent six years as a political aide at the St. Louis County Council before joining the Show-Me Institute in 2007. Stokes was a policy analyst at the Show-Me Institute from 2007 to 2016. From 2016 through 2020 he was Executive Director of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, where he led efforts to oppose harmful floodplain developments done with abusive tax subsidies. Stokes rejoined the Institute in early 2021 as the Director of Municipal Policy. He is a past president of the University City Library Board. He served on the St. Louis County 2010 Council Redistricting Commission and was the 2012 representative to the Electoral College from Missouri’s First Congressional District. He lives in University City with his wife and their three children.

Similar Stories

Support Us

Headline to go here about the good with supporting us.

Donate
Man on Horse Charging