Through its school library, Calhoun Community High School is making sure Mary Jo Nye's love for literacy lives on for years to come.
In honor of Nye, a longtime CCHS teacher who died in the Feb. 20 Kalamazoo shooting rampage, the alternative high school is working to update its school library, created by Nye during her CCHS career but neglected in recent years. And it's renaming the library in her honor.
"She would constantly get donations from Willard Library," CCHS Principal Tara Egnatuk said. "She'd take all the books they didn't want."
Egnatuk said school officials thought Nye, who taught English at CCHS, would be honored if they continued their library and made new book purchases. She said they haven't updated the library in a few years.
"She not only worked at our school with struggling kids but she worked as a literacy specialist in the state and she worked with young kids, teaching them how to read ... she worked with adults and literacy for adult people," Egnatuk said. "She tutored kids even in her retirement who were struggling, kind of on the fringe. She really dedicated her life to literacy and making sure people could read."
At CCHS, Nye also taught a children's literature course, where she taught the students how to read to their own kids.
Nye, who was part of the alternative high school's founding, was one of six victims shot and killed in a series of attacks on Feb. 20 in Kalamazoo County. Two others were injured.
Kalamazoo resident Jason Dalton, 45, is facing six counts of open murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder and weapons violations for the attacks.
The alternative high school held a book and donation drive earlier this year, but the public is welcome to still donate books or funds to purchase new books for the library. Egnatuk said so far, they have received a little more than $1,000 in cash to buy books, as well as at least 400 books. There are still book-donation boxes left to be unpacked from Kalamazoo Strong, she said.
CCHS needs more bookshelves or people willing to build shelves, school officials said. The school has started the Mary Jo Nye Bookworm Award, an annual recognition for a student who shares Nye's love of reading.
Contact Safiya Merchant at 269-966-0684 or smerchant@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SafiyaMerchan
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