Three to be inducted into AEFI's Hall of Honor

AMESBURY — For eight years, locals have submitted nominees for Amesbury Educational Foundation Inc.'s Hall of Honor, a tradition that has resulted in a long list of accomplished individuals with Amesbury roots. The list of 22 honorees includes former locals ranging from a rocket scientist to a state representative, from a Coast Guard commander to a Hollywood actor, and this year's three inductees reflect that same variety of success.

Former students Karin Martin and Cmdr. Glen Bourque, and Friend of Amesbury Schools, Julia Phelps, will be inducted into the hall at AEFI's eighth annual Hall of Honor Ceremony on Friday, May 7, at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph's Hall, 5 Sparhawk St.

"We are thrilled once again to have such outstanding candidates," AEFI President Joan Miller said. "We are always amazed at the nominees and how far they've come out of Amesbury High School."

Martin, AHS Class of 1984, and Bourque, AHS Class of 1980, are being honored for distinguishing themselves as role models for students.

Martin is associate professor of sociology at the University of Michigan, where she is a top-rated teacher and researcher, Miller said. Her research on gender, sexuality and the body, supported by a ground-breaking book and articles published in the field's top journal, American Sociological Review, has made her one of the leading scholars of her generation in these fields.

Bourque is a commander in the U.S. Navy assigned as the first lieutenant, Deck Department, on the USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76 (nuclear aircraft carrier) stationed in San Diego, Calif. Bourque holds a master's degree in occupational safety and health/environmental management and is a combat veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Bangladesh, in support of Operation Sea Angel. The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group 7 supported ground troops in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and performed humanitarian assistance missions, Miller said.

"A lot of kids aren't sure what they want to do right out of high school; a lot think they don't want to go to college," Miller said. "One honoree took the path to join the Navy and later pursued a master's degree, and another outstanding student went to college right away and got her PhD. They speak to two different groups of students, but both show that you can accomplish whatever you want to do coming out of AHS."

The third honoree, Phelps, is being honored for her work with Amesbury schools. She earned her doctorate in education from Indiana University in 1990 and is associate commissioner for curriculum and instruction at Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. While serving as the coordinator of curriculum for Amesbury schools from 1995 to 2004, Phelps initiated the first Amesbury Schools Strategic Plan, and she was the driving force behind the rebirth of the Amesbury Educational Foundation Inc. in 2003.

With Phelps at the reins — and only $5,000 in the foundation's account — the five-member AEFI grew to an organization that has given away more than $150,000 to date in grants to local teachers. AEFI now includes a 13-member board of directors and another dozen community members round out an advisory board.

"It was a huge effort," Miller said. "Her enthusiasm, her work ethic and her quest for excellence in the Amesbury School System established her role as a true friend of Amesbury schools."

At the Hall of Honor ceremony, AEFI will also unveil the 2010 grant awards to teachers for the 2010/2011 school year. Miller said 23 grant proposals have been received, and AEFI board members are busy determining the recipients. In the past, grants have helped fund self-sustaining programs, such as the seismograph project at the Amesbury Middle School, which allows students to track earthquake activity all over the globe, and Green Thumbs to a Greener Earth, a $10,000 grant awarded to Cashman Elementary to revitalize and repair the deteriorated school greenhouse, which students are now using to provide vegetables and plants for window boxes for senior citizens.

Last year, the group funded the Dear Mr. Woodwell project at Amesbury High School, where students researched and contacted former AHS students who served in WWII and invited them to a Veterans Day ceremony at the high school.

"It was just an amazing ceremony done with small money," Miller said. "We help in creating nontraditional projects for the kids. It's hard sometimes to keep coming up with brand-new things, but we try to spark innovation. It really brings out creativity in the teachers at Amesbury schools."

AEFI also administers scholarships, such as the Jeffrey Donovan Scholarship, which gives a $10,000 scholarship to a student entering the fine arts, and the Jordan Shay Memorial Scholarship, given annually to two students going into the military, police, fire or other public services.

"During times like this, people narrow their focus and give to what they're passionate about," Miller said. "My mantra is we are here to educate children and give them role models so they have the opportunity to become something great."

Hall of Honor tickets are $45 each if purchased by April 26, $50 per person after April 26, and include dinner, hors d'oeuvres, dessert and a cash bar. There will be live entertainment during the cocktail hour. AEFI accepts cash, checks or credit cards.

Call Cathy Toomey at 978-388-0880 or Miller at 978-834-2373 for tickets, or purchase them online at www.AEFIonline.com.

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