NHHS grad receives Wartburg Young Alumni Award

Writing and presenting formal speeches aren’t typically a part of the day-to-day routine for math teachers.David Voves, a 2003 New Hampton High School graduate who teaches in Charles City, worked on his speech for a couple of weeks, trying to get the wording just right.He wanted to include a quote attributed to Rita Pierson, the famous teacher, speaker and advocate for education who passed away about a year ago.“Every child deserves a champion: an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be,” Pierson said.“I love this quote, but I believe Rita was incorrect in using the word ‘child,’” Voves said. “I believe the word ‘child’ should be replaced with ‘person,’ to make it ‘every person deserves a champion.’ God has blessed me with champions, and I would not be who I am today without them.”— For more on this story, see the April 16 New Hampton Tribune.