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This honor has been awarded the past three years. In 2004, the inaugural awards went to Ken Olson (Class of 1963), Ron (Rondo) Olsen (Class of 1966), and Bruce Stang (Class of 1977). Olson won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his sacrificial battlefield death in Vietnam in May 1968; Olsen has worked as an award-winning television news reporter for 35 years; and Stang built his company, Stang Precision in Paynesville, into a successful plastics manufacturer.

In 2005, Gladys Deadrick (Class of 1925), Joe Pung (Class of 1961), and Dr. Jim Hess (Class of 1971) were honored: Deadrick for starting a meal delivery program for seniors in the Paynesville area; Pung for captaining the Gophers football team and teaching for 30 years; and Hess for leading dozens of mission trips to the Third World while serving as president of VOSH-Minnesota (Volunteer Optometric Service to Humanity) since 1983.

In 2006, Hub Schwandt (Class of 1939), Peter (Class of 1961) and Lynne (Class of 1962), and Susan (Hendrick) Warner (Class of 1969) were honored during the all-school reunion in June. Schwandt spent 30 months as a POW during World War II before returning to Paynesville; the Jacobsons served as publishers of the Paynesville Press for 33 years; and Warner has taught nursing for nearly 30 years, including helping to start the nursing program at SCSU.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is meant to recognize the success of Paynesville graduates in the world. All kinds of achievements - artistic, career, community service, etc. - will be considered.

The only criteria for the award is nominees must be an alumni of Paynesville Area High School.

Nominations of alumni should include a synopsis of their life after graduation, a description of their accomplishments, and a list of reasons why they are deserving of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Nominators should remember they are trying to convince the committee of the merits of this nominee.

Nominations should also include the nominee's graduation year, current address, and current phone number, as well as the nominator's contact information in case the committee needs to contact you.

Nominations must be received by Friday, Dec. 28. They can be mailed to the "Keep the Quality" Education Foundation, Distinguished Alumni Selection Committee, P.O. Box 187, Paynesville, MN 56362.

Nominations will be kept on file and reconsidered every year. If you have made a nomination in the past, you do not need to resubmit it unless you want to add information about the nominee.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards for 2007 will be selected by the "Keep the Quality" Education Foundation Board of Directors in January.

(Editor's Note: Jacobson is a president of the "Keep the Quality" Education Foundation and helps organize the Distinguished Alumni Award for the foundation.)