By Adam Knoll
Correspondent
After a trying application process that was overseen by no less than two separate committees, Justin Stewart, Valerie Troxel and Diana Callope, teachers in the Whitewater Unified School District, won Herb Kohl Fellowship awards, which is handed out to only 100 educators each year. Colleagues in the district nominated the teachers; each will receive a $1,000 prize and a $1,000 dollar donation toward their school.
“I’m extremely pleased and proud,” Whitewater Unified School District Administrator Eric Runez said at the March 17 school board meeting. “It’s a very rigorous process that they had to complete. They went through a process where their applications were reviewed and then forwarded on to the state.”
“They were chosen for their ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, and their ability to motivate others with their service in and out of the classroom.” Runez added. “Again, we are extremely proud of their accomplishment and we wanted to recognize them.”
Stewart, Troxel and Colby were each awarded a certificate of recognition at the meeting. A feature story about them will appear in a future issue of this paper.
WHS senior wins Kohl’s Award
Destine Fuchs, a senior at Whitewater High School, also won a prestigious award in the Herb Kohl Initiative Scholarship, which is awarded to only 85 students in Wisconsin each year.
“It is for students who have demonstrated a high level of motivation to achieve and show strong promise for post-secondary opportunities,” Runez explained of the award.
Fuchs was not able to attend the meeting due to a conflict with the jazz ensemble.
