Page 177 - 2015 Columbian

ROU

Poppe

ost people are familiar with the chee ts up the halls with her brrghtly-colored wigs and pairs of Sketchers. A little shy of
( teet, Ms. Poppell enjoys bringing out her inne id. She likes to sport a children's size three shoe, preferring children's shoes because
they are "wider, cuter, and have a better arch." Poppell is a remarkable teacher, who has become an inspiration to many throughout her
recent battle with cancer. She grew up in Pulaski, Tennessee and
attended Bodenham High School, one of eight high schools in
the county. After graduating from the University of Florida,
Poppell began her teaching career at Columbia High School
(CHS) in 1973. She teaches Psychology, Sociology, and
Social Studies - her favorite being Psychology. She likes to use
stories to illustrate concepts while she's teaching, yet also take
time to check with students to see if their faces show that "the
light
P t he time of her cancer diagnosis, she was
1, al e kept getting a bad chest cold and
then contracted pn monia. After repeated bouts
of 1llness, her do ent her to get a chest x-ray.
That's when th ound a dark mass - she had lung
cancer. After mg this devastating news, she
sp1raled t · .. nto a depression; but emerged
w1th a st ger sense of life and a fighting spirit.
Ms P ell sought to aggressively treat her
t the Florida Cancer Specialists,
u boing radiation every day and
chemotherapy once a week for five months.
·.,g through chemoth<>rapy taught her a
.. important lesson, t take life for
granted.
Her decision to begin smoking
at the age of 15 is one of her
greatest regrets, and she
admits that it was extremely
difficult to quit. Her message to students is- "If you
don't smoke, don't start. And if you do, find some
program to get off of it. It's not worth it." After being
diagnosed with cancer, her lifesty e changed significantly:
no more smoking or drinking. Now, instead of lighting
up a cigarette, she eats Chip Ahoy cookies and vanilla ice
cream. She also began to spe d even more tim with her
daughters and grandchildren.
Ms. Poppell became stron er with her time away
from CHS, never losing the su port of the Lake City
C munity. "Checking In W ith Ms. opp II," a Facebook
pagL updated by her daughter, Debi Ellis, as made to
keep ' community up to date with her ealing proces:.
Th1s page currently has over 500 likes. Pop ll's support group- family members, people at CHS and in the community, were key to her
success in battling cancer. Perseverance through even the oughest trials in li e 1s something many can learn from a fighter like Ms. Poppell.