Emma Falgner (third from left) was recently recognized as the Clinton County winner of the Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic award. Pictured with Falgner, from left to right, are: Pandy McCarty, Linda MacLeod, and Tony Falgner.
Submitted photo
On Tuesday, April 18, the Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) recognized Ohio’s top students from across the state during the 34th-annual Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Awards Program, held at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio, following the OESCA’s annual spring meeting.
The awards program, named in honor of Ohio’s 31st State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Franklin B. Walter, was established in 1989 by OESCA to promote and recognize outstanding student leaders for their academic achievement and service to their schools and communities. One senior from each county in Ohio was eligible to receive this annual honor.
Southern Ohio Educational Service Center selected four senior high school students from Adams, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland Counties for their academic success and school and community service. Students were selected based on their school grades, test scores, activities, an essay detailing their short-term and long-term goals, both academically or professionally and personally, and a letter of recommendation from an educator or individual that positively impacted their lives.
Emma Falgner is the Clinton County recipient. She will be graduating from Blanchester High School and plans to attend Mount Vernon Nazarene or Wilmington College and major in childhood education.
Falgner wrote: “One morning when I was in fifth grade, I walked into my science class and my teacher had transformed the room into the Milky Way galaxy. She hung planets from the ceiling, created an asteroid belt, and filled the empty spaces with stars. During the class that day, she taught us about each planet and how they rotate around the sun. I was fascinated with all of this, and I couldn’t wait to learn more. This is one of the moments in my life that inspired me to become a teacher. Teaching is the perfect profession for me because not only do I get to help others, but I also get to be an influence on children at such an impressionable time in their lives.”
SOESC Superintendent Ms. Beth Justice said, “Ms. Falgner truly represents the best of the best in the region, and I want to congratulate her on her many accomplishments. On behalf of SOESC, we thank you for being a leader for our future and wish you the very best.”
Southern Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services to 12 school districts in Adams, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland Counties. Districts receive services from school improvement consultants, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, and special education teachers.
