The 2015 Distinguished Graduate Award for Academics will be presented to Mrs. Tamara Krauch Mills, who is currently the Coordinator of Instruction, as well as the Supervisor of Fine Arts, PE, Health, FACs, after school programs, and summer school for Worcester County.

Mills has worked at many schools at several positions, mostly centering around Visual Arts. From 2001 to 2009 she worked as a Visual Art specialist at Pocomoke Middle School, with a part-time position as an adjunct art professor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore from 2004 to 2008.

Mills has a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Salisbury University as well as a Master’s in Post-Secondary Education/School Administration.

She graduated from Linganore in 1995. From 1991 to 1993 she was on the field hockey team and the girls’ basketball team. From 1991 to 1992 she was a Prom Promise Chairperson. She was also in the National Honor Society, the National Art Honor Society, the Student Helping Other People (SHOP), the LHS Art Club, and was part of the Yearbook Staff as the co-editor during her senior year.

Tony Miller, the field hockey coach, said he remembers Mills. He said, “Very smart. Very dedicated to excellence. I remember how easily things came to her,” Miller said. “For most kids, that would mean a ticket to coast, but she still strove to be the best she could be, get the best grades. She always wanted to be the best.”

Mills has written for magazines and the Worcester County Times. These include, but are not limited to, “Creative Kids are Engaged Learners,” an article for Delmarva Youth that was published in 2009, “October forum makes art the MAIN event,” published in 2011,  “After school programs fulfill needs,”  published in 2012, and “STEAM powers students forward,” published in 2012.

“I am very honored to receive this award, especially because as we go through life, most of us don’t think about how we got where we are. This award has really allowed me to reflect on the impact that LHS had on me, and really think about where I came from, who helped shape me and how I can shape the lives of others,” Mills said.

Mills began to pursue her career in fifth grade, when she won a skateboarding design contest at Green Valley Elementary and got to meet the mayor. The joy she felt led her to start pursuing her career in art. Originally she had wanted to be an architect, then a designer, and then an art therapist. However, after she went to Salisbury University she discovered her calling in teaching children the foundations of art. She even won the honor of being the Worcester County Teacher of the Year for the school year of 2007-2008.

“Linganore High School did a great job helping me be a well-rounded student. Colleges really look at, not only grades, but also at what kind of student you are overall. LHS (as well as my parents) helped me become a strong student academically, allowed me to blossom as an artist, supported my athletic endeavors, and didn’t just focus on my test scores or AP classes,” Mills said.

Mills currently lives in Salisbury with her husband and two stepchildren. Her Twitter is @TJMillsWCPS