Elisabeth has an infectious gregariousness about her. She always seemed to be smiling - and it was a contagious smile.  One former colleague remarks that, "It was worth coming to work, just to be around Elisabeth." Considering the many stresses faculty must deal with in (and out) of the classroom, perhaps no higher compliment could ever be paid.

As an instructor, Elisabeth was equally unique. She would dress as an "in-bred redneck" to lecture on intelligence, wore a paper model of the brain on her head for discussions of mind-body connections, dressed in camouflage and brought a cap gun to class for the lecture on deviance... anything to grab and hold her student's attention. Elisabeth was obviously not afraid to try anything in order to communicate the material being covered. She did fear one thing though; that students would leave her class without learning anything. One former student writes, "...Mrs. Shaw's classes have led me to very insightful experiences and knowledge. I have a deep respect for Mrs. Shaw, and both the direct and indirect contributions she has made to my personal growth, will be appreciated the rest of my life."

Both Texarkana College and the Texarkana community lost one of it's greatest treasures last summer when the life of Elisabeth Shaw was cut short in a tragic auto accident. A devoted wife and mother, a very competent and caring instructor and a model good Samaritan, Elisabeth left an indelible mark on everything with which she was involved. 

Elisabeth Shaw truly embodied what we gather each year at this time to celebrate: an educator whose skills in the classroom are exceeded only by their passion for teaching. For those of you who did not have the good fortune to know Elisabeth, tonight's tribute is an attempt to share with you her playful spirit. And, for those were friends and colleagues, it is our way of saying, "thanks, Lis" for the short time we had together.