Last Friday, Mr. Tom Clark, Social Studies, traveled to Houston, TX to receive the American Legion National Education Award. The award was given at the 95th National Convention of the American Legion.

The award was presented by the National Headquarters, The American Legion and the National Americanism Commission. This award is given to “A person, group or organization which, in the judgment of the Legion’s National Committee on Education, has best promoted either the educational programs of The American Legion, any educational programs that correspond to Legion goals, or education goals at the national level,” according to the American Legion official website.

“What’s so awe-inspiring to me is there were people like Laura Bush. All these big people have received it before me,” Mr. Clark said.

Clark was chosen for this award because of his veteran projects that he conducts in his classes where students profile veterans that have served in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, Korea or WWII. The Commission saw the CBS evening news coverage of his project, which was about two minutes in length. The Commission presented the crowd with the 13-minute-long story from the Wall Street Journal.

“It’s all the hard work of students. I accept [the award] for the students and all the hard work they’ve done over 28 years honoring the veterans,” Mr. Clark said.