Scholarship honors Tom Grove’s impact as teacher and artist

Tom Grove was a skilled fine artist and photographer with a quick wit, sharp intelligence, and mastery of Scrabble and crossword puzzles. But what is remembered most about Tom is how he made people feel good about themselves and helped them believe they could accomplish anything.

“He was the guy in the room that if you were around him, it was something special,” says Tom’s brother, Stephen Grove.

Tom grew up in a large, tight-knit family in Southern Indiana. He was known as the funny guy in the family with a keen ability to make others laugh. He attended Ball State University, initially pursuing a degree in architecture but later changed to fine art and education. He was also deeply involved in Greek life at the university, where he developed lifelong friendships.

While he was an extremely talented painter and illustrator, he gravitated toward photography. Perhaps it was the science of photography and the ability to look at the everyday as art. “When you saw Tom’s photography, you got a glimpse into his eye, what he was seeing and why he would capture it and frame it as art,” says Steve. “He once explained to me it’s not that you are showing someone that a particular thing is art, but instead looking at it and saying, ‘What if this was art?’”

Tom and his work earned many prestigious awards, including: a two-time Lilly Creative Teacher Fellow, a Toyota International Teacher Program participant, and the National Endowment for the Humanities Research participant. A selection of his art is on permanent exhibit at the Midwest Museum of Art in Elkhart, Indiana.

In his 40-year career as an educator at Elkhart Central High School, Tom didn’t just teach thousands of students. He inspired them. Tom was a beloved photography teacher, retiring as the head of the Art Department just months before he died in 2017. He had been diagnosed with cancer and complications from treatment caused his untimely passing. “Good teachers know their stuff, and Tom knew his stuff,” says Cynthia Holland Marks, who taught in the art department with Tom for many years. “He gave 100% every day. Kids loved him. He stood up for the fine arts.”

When Tom passed, his fraternity brothers, spearheaded by friend Bill Dougherty, suggested the scholarship. Their goal is to honor Tom’s legacy by supporting his passion for the classroom and young artists. “We aspired to create a scholarship that Tom would have wanted. A way for Tom to still be out there, encouraging these young artists, even though he is no longer with us,” says Steve.

For Tom, encouraging students to pursue their interest in art and photography was  important. The arts aren’t always as supported or held in the esteem of other fields. The scholarship helps to validate a career in the arts and inspires people to follow their passion. It continues the impact he made on students in his honor. Mario Casto, who was awarded the scholarship in 2020, says, “I’m really thankful for the scholarship. I’m still inspired by it; it’s motivated me to keep driving forward.” Mario is pursuing a double major in Photography and Marketing at Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois, with the goal of owning a gallery and teaching photography at the college level.

“He gave 100% every day. Kids loved him. He stood up for the fine arts.” – Cynthia Holland Marks, colleague of Tom Grove

Tom’s former wife, Mary Jo Sartorius, connected the scholarship creation efforts with the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. “I knew from previous experience that in the hands of the Community Foundation, the scholarship would be well managed and offer a way to endow the scholarship, so his legacy lives on,” says Mary Jo. “Working with the Community Foundation takes the burden of the day-to-day management of the scholarship off of his family and friends.”

Tom’s life meant something to everyone that he touched. He lived by the golden rule to do unto others as you would have done to you, and he gave back to his community in a way that isn’t consistently recognized. Tom’s life illustrated how you can do good and make an impact on people through your actions, how you live your life, and by inspiring others.

On Tom’s memorial Facebook page, a former student wrote, “Grover, you set my path in life, and I could never thank you enough. I’ve had a camera in my hands or around my neck since the day I first took your class. I’ve built a successful business and it’s kept me going through some pretty rough times. Today I am turning in my application for my first big kid job (at the age of 38) as a high school photography teacher and the only person I want to call is you. I hope I can change at least one kid’s life like you changed mine.”