By JAMIE BURDORF
Left: Alumni of the Year Kyle Horn; Right: Featured Speaker Scott Ginger
With just over a month to go, the Shenandoah Iowa Education Foundation is busy preparing for the 150th anniversary “Excellence in Education Honor Banquet” which will be held at the Elks Lodge in Shenandoah on March 26th and is open to the public.
The event is the first of its kind for the foundation and is something that has been in the works for awhile. The 150th anniversary refers to the sesquicentennial of both the community and the school district.
Here’s a little glimpse into what the night will look like: There will be a social hour from 5 to 6 p.m., with dinner starting at 6 p.m. Members of the Shenandoah High School Student Council will be the wait staff at the meal, which will be catered by Elm Street Grill.
As far as the program itself, the foundation will honor 25 teachers and staff members who have at least 25 years of service in the education field and there will be entertainment by SHS choir members, under the direction of alumni Ashleigh (Sons) Smith.
Featured speaker will be Scott Ginger, of the SHS Class of 1976. Ginger is a recently retired teacher who also taught speech and debate. In 2017-2018 he was awarded the Nevada Educator of the Year Award by the National Speech and Debate Association.
Kyle Horn, a 1982 graduate, is being awarded the first ever Alumnus of the Year award. Horn was nominated for the work he’s done after leaving the security of his full-time employment to start “America’s Job Honor Awards.’” That program promotes opportunities for the underemployed in multiple states, by helping people who overcome obstacles to employment due to some type of handicap or a mistake they had made early in life.
Opening remarks will be offered by foundation president Corby Fichter, and closing remarks will be made by SHS 1965 alumnus and foundation board member Chuck Offenburger.
Tickets to the honor event are $25 per person. If you’re unable to make it to the banquet and would like to sponsor one of the 25 staff members being honored, you can reach out to purchase a ticket for them as well. Tickets are now on sale at any of the school offices or by reaching out to Jamie Burdorf, Amy Miller, Julie O’Hara, Paula Brownlee or Nick Bosley. To reserve your tickets, or if you have further questions, you can email us at: sheniaeducationfoundation@gmail.com.
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