South Panola High School business teacher Dilcy Ivy was surprised this week to learn that the 2009 school annual had been dedicated in her honor.

This year’s Tigerteer, “2009 Pieces to the Puzzle” includes a dedication page with photos of Ivy from her childhood and throughout her career. The text acknowledges 41 years of teaching, starting at Patton Lane High School in 1968.

“Mr. Hyde gave me my first job,” Ivy said about the late Robert Hyde who was principal at Patton Lane High School. She had just graduated from Alcorn University, she said.

Ivy came to South Panola High School in 1970 when integration combined the student bodies and closed the Patton Lane school, and has remained there ever since. She currently teaches courses in personal finance and international business.