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A COUNTY Durham woman who advised three US presidents has helped inspire children to be proud of their North East roots.
Dr Fiona Hill was among the VIP guests who visited Whitworth Park Academy, in Spennymoor, as part of its first cultural heritage week.
Born into a mining family in nearby Bishop Auckland, Dr Hill spoke to pupils about her journey “from the coal house to the White House”, and how the educational start she got in County Durham helped her become a special advisor on Russia to presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
Dr Hill said: “It’s always wonderful to be back in the North-East. The reason I thought I could do whatever I wanted was because of people coming into my school and sharing their experiences.
“This is really why I’m here, because with education comes responsibility to share it with the next generation.”
Born into a mining family in nearby Bishop Auckland, Dr Hill spoke to pupils about her journey “from the coal house to the White House”.
She described how her North East roots – including being awarded a bursary from the Durham Miners’ Association as a student – set her on her path to success, which included attending Harvard University, where she played basketball against future US president Barack Obama.
“Although he went by ‘Barry’ back then!” she laughed.
The week-long event was held to help learn more about their town and its history, exploring what it means to be from Spennymoor.
Another guest inspiring them was Mike Thornton, son-in-law of celebrated North East artist Norman Cornish, who met his future wife Ann at the school when they both attended in the 1960s.
Mike now works to celebrate Norman’s work and life, regularly speaking and staging exhibitions of his father-in-law’s art.
He said: “I feel an obligation to share Norman’s work and take his story forward, so I’m delighted to be at Whitworth Park.
“To come back, talk with, and hopefully inspire the youngsters to go and do great things is very rewarding.”
In addition to the visits, pupils explored local landmarks and places of interest throughout the week, including Spennymoor Town Hall, Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall, and the Norman Cornish Art Trail.
Headteacher Stuart Dixon said: “We want our children to develop a real sense of place by learning about the people who have come from Spennymoor and the events that have shaped our community.
“We want them to understand the real significance of Spennymoor, South West Durham, and the North East so they can build on the successes and celebrations of the past.
“In 20 or 30 years’ time, we hope to welcome some of these children back to school to tell their own life stories to future pupils.
“Who knows what the young people sitting in front of us today will go on to achieve? If that happens, we’ll know we’ve done our job as a school.”