Special to the WJH
Dr. Betty McEady, a graduate of the 1962 class of Center High School, will be the speaker for the 15th annual Center High School Museum Banquet at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 8 at the Waycross Exchange Club, 2401 Knight Avenue.
Tickets for the banquet, sponsored by the Center High School Historical Committee, are $50 and may be purchased by calling (912) 283-4298. Tickets must be purchased in advance as none will be available at the door.
Theme for the evening is “WE Are The Tigers.” Attire is “dressy” for the event, which is not limited to former Center students.
In addition to the dinner, the evening will include surprises, numerous gifts and awards from the committee.
Earlier Saturday, the school’s museum in the Ware County Board of Education Building will be available to tour. The school’s archives at 1301 Bailey Street will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dr. McEady, who holds an undergraduate, two Masters and two Doctorates, is a Waycross native. She attended Hazzard Hill Elementary before going to Center. While at Center, Dr. McEady said one of her teachers said she would become a selfmade, wise woman, and a lifelong learner.
Those predictions became psychological stepping stones to her numerous academic achievements. In addition to her degrees, Dr. McEady is a Fulbright Scholar who used the grant to teach and do research in Liberia along the west coast of Africa.
Dr. McEady has been a teacher in secondary schools in Florida, Georgia and California. She was a Professor of Education and Psychology in the California State University system prior to retiring in 2017.
In addition to her class work, Dr. McEady has written for several academic publications and co-authored books with academic colleagues.
Since 2010, she has been a volunteer in the Alternatives to Violence Project. This is an international organization whose purpose is to conduct non-violence training in schools, communities and prisons.
In 2024, she co-authored the publication, “Building Peace and Community ... Around the World.”
With more than 40 years as a teacher-learner, professor, curriculum developer, writer and community activist, Dr. McEady has melded her experiences to become the woman that high school teacher predicted.
