Teacher gives student his collared shirt to keep her from being disqualified at regional competition
BRUCEVILLE-EDDY, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - A teacher gave his student the shirt off his back after she showed up to participate in a competition that required a collared shirt.
Bruceville-Eddy agricultural science teacher and FFA sponsor Sean Sammon said he could not just stand by and do nothing when junior Skylar Huffman-Terry forgot to wear a collared shirt, which would have disqualified her from competing at the Area 8 Contest Career Development Event at Tarleton State University.
“I wanted her to be able to compete,” Sammon said. “That’s one of the things they require, and that’s something I felt like needed to happen so she could compete.”
Sammon said he took off his collared shirt and gave it to his much more petite student.
“Oh, it swallowed her,” he said.
With the shirt on, Skylar was able to compete.
Skylar and Sammon have a long history in the agriculture program together. Skylar said she was not surprised that the big-hearted teacher gave up his shirt for her.
“He actually cares, and he’s been there since my junior high years,” she said. “He has always ed us and helped us in our LDE (leadership development events) and CDEs (career development events) and all of our agriculture events.”
Sammon had a jacket he wore while he drove to the nearest Tractor Supply store to purchase a t-shirt to wear.
When he returned to the competition, he was disheartened to overhear someone talking about how his clothes were not appropriate.
He’s not sure if it was a student, parent or teacher who made the comment.
“After I dropped her off at the contest, I went back to my favorite store, Tractor Supply, and got a t-shirt to wear,” he said. “Then, after that, in the award assembly, I heard someone talking about how I wasn’t dressed appropriately for the contest. They didn’t know the whole story.”
Skylar did not win her competition, but she did walk away with a far greater lesson in kindness.
“I really appreciate him and thank him for all that he does,” Skylar said.
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