St. Charles American Legion awards 8th graders for community service

St. Charles American Legion Post 342 presented six St. Charles eighth graders with the annual American Legion School Awards in May.

Each year the award is given to a boy and a girl from each eighth grade class at Thompson, Wredling and St. Patrick Middle Schools who demonstrate courage, patriotism, honor, scholarship, leadership and service.

St. Charles American Legion member Mike Foulkes presented the awards to students at St. Patrick Catholic School on May 9 and at Thompson and Wredling middle schools on May 29.

Thompson students Michael Dwyer and Alisha Sharma, Wredling students Dristi Sanchala and Wyattt de Luna, and St. Patrick students Hank Brightbill and Gianna LaPorte were this year’s recipients.

Foulkes said he was impressed by this year’s award winners, especially since many of them received several additional honors from their schools, which he said speaks to their character.

Thompson Middle School Principal Matt Clark said the annual award is considered the highest honor his students can receive.

Clark said Sharma and Dwyer both exemplified leadership at Thompson, each earned straight-As all three years and were heavily involved in the school’s music program.

Clark said Foulkes addresses not only the award winners, but the entire eighth grade class every year, sharing words of wisdom, celebrating their accomplishments and preparing them to be future leaders.

The American Legion presented the first awards in 1926, which are now nationally awarded to more than 20,000 students every year by local American Legion Posts across the country.

Recipients of the award are nominated by their teachers.

Each honoree receives a certificate and a medallion with the six qualities listed on the face of the medal. The back of the medal bears the U.S. Marine Corps motto “Semper fidelis,” Latin for “always faithful.”