I first became aware of the Students In Action (SIA) group at Fishers High School when a student of that group at FHS, Casey Alexander, provided help for me in producing school board candidate podcasts in 2020 and 2022. I received an e-mail a few weeks ago from SIA saying I had been nominated for a Jefferson Award, a high honor for people and organizations contributing to their local communities through volunteer work.
It was a great surprise to me. I never imagined my little local news blog being up for such a high honor.
Friday night SIA had their inaugural gala at Conner Prairie. It was a celebration and fund-raising event for their upcoming Day of Service. I have covered a number of events like this gala and give the SIA students high marks for putting on a first class event.
I am humbled to have shared the stage with so many local people that have made a difference in our local community – Kit Malone of the Indiana ACLU, FHS Teacher Tammy Snyder, student Sam Wain, Women & Hi Tech and the Heart & Soul clinic. Each one had an important story to tell.
But I want to highlight Jefferson Award Winner Mike Fassold, a military veteran that spent the last 26 years in his second career as a teacher at Fishers Junior High School. Mike has taken a group of students on the FJHS We The People team to the national finals year after year, winning a number of national titles. We the People is a competition all about civic knowledge.
Mike has molded his We The People students into future citizens that will be aware of their local civic duty wherever they may live as adults. That is no small accomplishment.
But Mike was very kind to me, complimenting the work I have done on this news blog. I guess we are part of a mutual admiration society.
Mike is in has last semester of teaching as he transitions into retirement. Knowing Mike as I do, he will find something important to do in retirement.
Friday night was an evening I will always remember. A Jefferson Award is something I never imagined achieving. My thanks to SIA and those nominating me for this honor. I accept it with a great deal of humility and respect.
