The Hall of Fame banquet is typically held annually, but due to the COVID-19 crisis this spring, they are honoring 18 educators, students and alumni virtually. Each recipient will be recognized with their photo and an article on the CEF website, centervilleeducation.org, said spokeswoman Sarah Swan.
She added that this year’s Outstanding Educator is Doug Eyink, orchestra director at Watts Middle School and Centerville High School, and founder of the CHS Alternative Strings program. The CHS Alternative Strings program encourages students to expand their horizons past the classical music typically taught in schools.
“Doug’s demeanor and teaching style show how he genuinely enjoys kids and rejoices in their triumphs. He spreads his love of music to those around him, and the enthusiasm he displays is infectious and engages students thoroughly,” according to a statement from those who work with Eyink.
Members of the CHS Class of 2020 selected Abigail Kuper to receive the Outstanding Student award. Kuper is vice president of Student Council, helping to organize the Spirit Chain fundraiser, which raised $72,500 in the fall.
She is also involved in a number of community service and extracurricular activities such as Octagon Club, Character Club, French Club and HOSA, as well as the volleyball and track teams.
Dayton police officer Lt. Col. Matt Carper, a 1987 graduate of CHS, is being recognized as the Distinguished Alumnus. After graduating, Carper joined the Army National Guard and later earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
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He has been with the Dayton Police Department since graduating from the academy in 1992, serving most recently as the deputy director and assistant chief of police.
“Several tragedies made 2019 a difficult year for the city of Dayton, and Lt. Col. Carper puts the welfare and safety of his community front and center,” Swan said.
Brian Lokai will receive this year’s Citizen Advocate Award. After graduating from CHS in 1985, he went on to earn a degree from The Ohio State University in veterinary medicine.
He practices at the Suburban Veterinary Clinic, and is involved in a variety of organizations. Lokai has been a valuable resource for more than a decade to the CHS Career Education program, specifically for the biotechnology program where he provides supervision on various research projects and has mentored more than 100 students.
Lokai is also an active board member of the Centerville Wrestling Alumni Association, and coached the CHS girls varsity lacrosse team while his daughters were in high school.
Dee Gordon is being recognized with the Special Service Award. For the last 17 years, Gordon has served in various leadership roles within Destination ImagiNation (DI), the world’s largest creative problem-solving competition for children.
She has given thousands of hours of service to Centerville’s DI program, even after her own children graduated from high school, and has enriched the lives of Centerville students through the years by ensuring that DI remains strong in our community.
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Each school in the Centerville school district selected a recipient for the Excellence in Education awards. The 2020 honorees included:
• Mary Ankenbauer, English Language Learner teacher at Primary Village North
• Jeff Suter, PE teacher at Primary Village South
• Laura Venetos, third grade teacher at Cline Elementary
• Dara Bullock and Cheryl Sharpe, paraprofessionals at Driscoll Elementary
• Maria Rigling, PTO and academic volunteer at John Hole Elementary
• Josie Drerup, second grade teacher at Normandy Elementary
• Nancy Kwiat, third grade teacher at Stingley Elementary
• Josh Ward, intervention specialist at Weller Elementary
• Anne Freimark, academic volunteer at Magsig Middle School
• Phyllis Scholp, academic volunteer at Tower Heights Middle School
• Karen Udom, intervention specialist at Watts Middle School
• Scott Knupp, English language arts teacher at Centerville High School
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