Shady Spring, W.Va. (WVDN) – Lee Dean, a field representative for WV Secretary of State Kris Warner visited Shady Spring High School (SSHS) in Raleigh County last Monday to present the school and the student body with the prestigious Jennings Randolph Award for civic engagement.
Initiated by the WV Secretary of State’s Office in 1994, the Jennings Randolph Award for Civic Engagement commemorates West Virginia’s late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph’s legacy as the “Father of the 26th Amendment.” One of the defining moments in voting rights history in America, the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971. The Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, an effort Senator Randolph had first championed 29 years earlier in the U.S. House of Representatives.
West Virginia high schools who register at least 85% of their eligible seniors to vote earn the Award. The voter registration effort among the members of the high school’s senior class is required to be led by the students. Although many more attempt to earn the Award, fewer than 30 high schools actually become Jennings Randolph Award-winning schools each year.
To earn the Award for the 2024-25 school year, Shady Spring High School registered all 198 of its eligible senior students. Honorary Secretary of State David Hegele, who led the voter registration effort, and SSHS teacher Carey Radford accepted the Award on behalf of the school.
“It’s an honor for me to congratulate Shady Spring High School and the members of the class of 2025 on earning the prestigious Jennings Randolph Award for civic engagement,” Secretary Warner said in a press release.
“When you register to vote, you move from being a resident of West Virginia to being a citizen of West Virginia. And in our state, every voter, no matter their age, has a voice on important issues impacting our communities, our schools, our state, and the nation.”
