The Westerville Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Breakfast Celebration Committee has announced the 2016 Fouse Award recipients. Secondary Level Fouse Award winners are Leah Gaus from Westerville North High School and Andrea Zippay from Westerville Central High School. The Primary Level Fouse Award recipient is Margaret Mehlo from Hawthorne Elementary.
Gaus was nominated by North assistant principal Stephanie McGeorge, who explained that she is “highly active in our school and community in an effort to bring awareness, support and understanding of cultural differences.” McGeorge went on to point out that Gaus is a member of the Warrior Way Leadership Academy and is president of North’s Gay Straight Alliance group.
Zippay was nominated by her principal, Todd Spinner, who described the senior as someone who “wants everyone to realize that our differences do not define who we are.” She performed at last year’s Black History month assemblies, where she expressed her philosophy that mirrors Dr. King’s - “race knows no color.”
Mehlo, a fifth grader, was nominated by her teacher, Ann Genuisz, as well as Hawthorne Elementary School’s assistant principal Jill Carfagna. Mehlo has often demonstrated her care and concern for other students, especially when she notified the staff of a recent injustice being brought upon another child. She embraces the varied cultures of students at Hawthorne and delights in explaining her culture as well.
Fouse Awards, named after William H. Fouse, Westerville’s first black high school graduate, will be presented at the annual Westerville MLK Breakfast Celebration on January 18 at 7:30 a.m. at the Villa Milano Banquet and Conference Center. More information about reservations can be found on the Leadership Westerville website at www.leadershipwesterville.org .