Principal Linda Clifton's award-winning programs offer students at Tupelo Middle School in Tupelo new ways to envision and measure their success. TACO (Take a Class Outdoors), which now operates in three area schools, introduces female students to non-traditional careers in mathematics and science. Girls in the program work with women scientists and professors, gaining field experience in the natural sciences through projects ranging from swimming with manatees and studying marine life in the Gulf of Mexico to measuring pollution's effects on plants and trees. Mrs. Clifton's SOS (Save Our Students) program deters dropouts by engaging students in environmental service learning activities, giving them a chance to develop leadership skills and fostering their sense of community pride.
1971 Mississippi State University, B.S.
