FORT WAYNE - Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana held its 22nd Annual Educator Enrichment Conference at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne May 1.
The conference concluded with an awards ceremony in which Tippecanoe Valley educator and Burket Educational Center instructor, Micah Lukens, was named the recipient of the Manzer Award for Economics. The award is named after Dr. John Manzer, a professor of economics at IPFW who died tragically in an automobile accident three years ago.
The Manzer Award, consisting of a trophy and $500 honorarium, was presented by Manzer's widow, Marilyn, and son, Peter.
According to Marilyn, the award is presented to a friend of Junior Achievement with a passion for economic education and educating others. During her presentation of the award, she said, "He is so successful in the classroom because he willingly shares himself with the students. He engages students, getting to know them personally, and at the same time allows students to know him. He even takes breaks and plays table tennis with them to build that relationship. He deals with their school issues and any other issues they need help with in a professional and caring manner."
She was told by one of his co-workers that, "He really believes in the kids. He wants to see them succeed. He strives to be successful in everything he does and encourages the kids to do the same."
One of his Junior Achievement volunteers stated, "It is an honor to be able to volunteer in his class. Working with a teacher who so obviously cares about the welfare and success of his students is an inspiration."Lukens is in his sixth year of teaching in the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp.
The son of Lincoln and Cathie Lukens, Lukens is a 1999 graduate of Tippecanoe Valley High School and 2003 graduate of DePauw University.
