Trophies Trophy News

Dozens of trophies of all sizes and shapes line the walls of Donald Hitt’s classroom at Madison County High School.

The award-winning English, Speech and Theater teacher says the real stars are the talented students that have walked through his doors. He has been teaching at Madison County High School for the last 25 years and his students under his tutelage have raked in the championship titles. As the head coach, his teams have won 13 state forensics championships, five state theater championships and two debate championships for Madison County.

“I dare say we won more state championship trophies in forensics, debate and theater combined than any other school in the state,” Hitt, 53, of Culpeper said. He humbly credits all his successes to the talented students. Some of his students have gone onto Hollywood to pursue the love of theater that he helped instill in them. His former students Tina Gordon Chism is a scriptwriter in Hollywood who penned the movie “Drumline,” Ellis Malmgren is an actor in Hollywood who has been on episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Matt Estes was in a Harry Potter movie but his scene was cut out unfortunately but is scheduled to appear in another movie, Toni Anne Gamble is in production of a film he says right now and Jim Thompson has an internship at the famed Second City Comedy Club in Chicago.

There are many attorneys, teachers and other professionals as well. Some of his former students are teachers right here in Madison County. He keeps in touch with most of them and enjoys learning what they are up to. “They are all over the place. They give me calls now and again,” Hitt said. “I like to think I have had a little something to do with it. Not much, but a little something.”

He said the magic formula for winning is the talented students. “There is such a nice talent pool here and they want to work hard and they respond well to constructive criticism and they have a desire to be successful and that is wonderful. I have had the opportunity to work with some amazing students. I can coach them but they have to bring something to the table,” Hitt said. He added, “A number of good kids have come through and have enjoyed the program and got a lot out of it and have been able to take the skills they learn through theater and forensics and apply it to their interests and hopefully make a career out of it.”

Before moving to Madison County, he taught one year in Georgia and five years at Charles City High School in Charles City, Va. With 31 years in the teaching field, he says there is never a dull moment in his profession. Some of the highlights of his career have been when he was inducted into the Virginia High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004. Also, regional athletic directors and coaches honored him with the Regional Award of Merit in 2003. In addition, the alumni association of his alma mater, Piedmont College, named him Outstanding Educator of the Year in 2010. “Those achievements mean a lot to me,” Hitt said.