JFK Lancer - Mary Ferrell 1998 Award Recipients
Congratulations to Mark Taylor of Olathe South
High School for being selected as the Second Annual JFK Lancer-Mary Ferrell
Teacher Scholarship Winner! Mark will be presented his $600 award at the "November
In Dallas"
Conference Banquet on Saturday, November 21, 1998 at the Grand Hotel in Dallas,
TX.
11-09-98
JFK TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED
35 Years Later, The Assassination Still Studied
November 9, 1998--Dallas, Texas
This year marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the assassination of forever
young president John F. Kennedy. Recognizing the need for ethical leadership
now and in the 21st Century, JFK Lancer, a Texas historical research firm,
selected Olathe resident, Mark Taylor, as the 1998 "Teacher of the
Year" scholarship winner. Taylor, a teacher at the Olathe South High
School, was selected for his standard of excellence in research and his
contribution to the understanding of the murder of President Kennedy.
Taylor was fifteen years old when President Kennedy was killed but it was
twenty-five years before it had a major impact on his life. He states, "In
1988, I discovered the Warren Commission's evidence presented appeared to
not substantiate their conclusions and that the intelligence agencies had
not given the Commission all the information needed to prove Lee Harvey Oswald
guilty--or that he acted alone."
This realization stimulated a passion to find out the truth which has generated
not only a greater understanding of John Kennedy's death, but to teach that
understanding to other people, young as well as old.
Taylor's accomplishments include establishing a study of JFK's death in
the curriculum of his high school American History class, he has written
and taught four classes on the college level -- Mid-America Nazarene University
since 1992 and Friends University in 1994 -- and also conducts the "JFK
Tours," a field trip to Dallas assassination related locations designed
for high school students from the Kansas City area in 1994-1998.
Thomas A. Jones, of JFK Lancer, remarked, "While most students memorize
mostly details and dates, this is one educator who sees the historical "big
picture" and has contributed impressive work on a mostly misunderstood
time in our country's history."
Taylor will be awarded his cash scholarship at the JFK Lancer Conference
in Dallas, Texas, on November 21st.
READ HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH HERE.
Marco
Panella - Student Winner
Congratulations to Marco Panella, a recent graduate of Brattleboro High
School, Brattleboro, Vermont. Marco is the selection for the 'Student of
the Year" Scholarship winner. Panella was selected under the criteria
including his GPA and Honors, leadership activities, and his study of the
JFK assassination with in the historial context.
In his submitted essay, "What the JFK Presidency Means To Me," he
wrote: "The presidency of John F. Kennedy is the best tool for examining
the exercise and structure of power in recent history. From the way Kennedy
could manipulate reporters with his personality, to, more importantly, the
way the media ultimately manipulated the public perception of his death..."
This intriguing first sentence was one of the things that caught the attention
of the Scholarship Advisors.
Panella completed advanced courses while in high school and was very active
in the school. Jazz Band and golf team. His school counselor, William R.
John, wrote in his nomination letter: "Marco is one of the most intellectually
talented young men I have known at Brattleboro High School.during his four
years, he has been anexceptional student and a committed political leader
within and without the school community. He has worked on political campaigns,
doing office work, canvassing and leaflet drops. As a member of a high school
local and statewide consciousness raising activities around the issues of
child labor and popular commercial products."
In the past three years, Panella's name appeared on the Honor Roll of Brattleboro
High School twelve times out of the past twelve marking periods, seven times
the recipient of High Honors. He will be attending Brown University.
|