FHSD students and staff receive AACC honors
Two Forest Hills high school students and one teacher are recognized for their accomplishments by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce (AACC). The AACC announced the 2020 Student of the Year and Teacher of the Year recipients in early April.
At Anderson High School, recipient Emma Gasser is known for her strong commitment to academic excellence. While she navigated more than a dozen advanced placement courses and earned a top ACT score of 30, Gasser served as a member of the Hope Squad, a peer-based suicide prevention program, and the school’s High Five Tribe, which provides exciting opportunities for students with special needs.
“She demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence while at the same time embodying the kind of well-rounded, good-natured personality we hope to cultivate at Anderson High School,” Anderson High School Principal Rob Fellows wrote in his nomination for Gasser.
The AACC named Turpin senior Jack Lambert a Student of the Year for his outstanding ability to balance a rigorous course load while also being a lifeguard, peer tutor and varsity baseball captain. Additionally, Lambert organized fundraisers to support causes that are important to him, including the Wounded Warrior Foundation and the 1N5 Foundation.
In Lambert’s nomination, Turpin High School Athletic Director Tony Hemmelgarn wrote, in part, that, “Lambert is an outstanding senior at Turpin High School with a great work ethic, passion, and dedication in all aspects of his life, not just the classroom.”
The chamber also honored Terrie Meister, a kindergarten teacher at Mercer Elementary School, with the 2020 Teacher of the Year award.
“Thirteen years ago I made the decision to teach kindergarten and it was absolutely the best professional decision I have ever made my entire life,” said Meister. When you love what you do, you will never feel like you worked a day in your life, and I love what I do!”
“The students and staff at Forest Hills School District are nothing short of exceptional and these honors are a true reflection of that,” said Scot Prebles, superintendent. “Mrs. Meister, and all of our teachers, are committed to providing a quality educational experience that prepares students to succeed in and out of the classroom. Congratulations to these three outstanding recipients on a job well done!”
