Dartmouth Social Studies teacher Scott Roddy had a strong influence on former student Amayah Purnell who has decided to pursue a teaching career. Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo
Always embracing her family history, Amayah Purnell didn’t realize until middle school that her interest would develop into a career path. With the help of her social studies teacher at Dartmouth Middle School in Hemet, Purnell has decided to use her academic skills and knowledge to become a teacher and return to the San Jacinto Valley to instill a love of history and social studies in other young minds.“I am the descendant of William Purnell, a Civil War veteran in the United States Colored Infantry. I am the descendant of Linda Purnell, whose class integrated Stephen Decatur High School in Maryland,” Purnell wrote in a scholarship application. “Through my ancestors, I am a product of courage, resilience and persistence. I carry the strengths of my ancestors with me through ev
