Pathfinders Recognized For All That They Do For Our Aviators

The fourth annual Black History Month/Pathfinders Assembly held on Feb. 21 recognized two of the 2020 Pathfinders and a keynote speech challenging students to press on towards their dreams and not let anyone get in the way.

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The awards are given during Black History Month to individuals who have created paths of success for Alliance students. Pathfinder falls in one of five categories: citizenship/government, education, arts and science, humanitarianism and business.

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Superintendent Jeffery Talbert brought the idea for the awards to Alliance five years ago. A board of community members nominates and chooses the award recipients each year. 

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The Choralaires kicked off the assembly with a couple songs including: Precious Lord (Take My Hand) and Soon Ah Will Be Done. The choir sang these songs: Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around, Steal Away, Ride On, In That Great Gettin Up Mornin’, and Revelation 19 featuring Matthew Horning. 

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The Pathfinders that were named this year were Gary King and Matt Horning and the guest speaker was Maurice Hatcher, the director of operations at Sommerville Funeral Services. 

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Pathfinders Awards

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Gary King graduated from Alliance High School in 1973. He retired from Alliance in 2018. He was also inducted into the Alliance Athletic Hall of Fame this year.

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“Before you get in a situation that you will regret, you always got to think, before something you really truly love is taken away from you,” he said.

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Matt Horning graduated from Alliance High School in 1995. He has been at Alliance for 21 years. He also started the 99th Squadron at Alliance Middle School for African-American male students and worked with Superintendent Talbert and Alliance High School Principal Shawn Jackson to move the program to the high school.

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“How you treat people now matters because one day when you come across them, you want them to remember somebody that was kind to me,” he said.

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Keynote

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Maurice Hatcher graduated from Alliance High School in 2007. He founded and directed the Alliance Community Youth Choir. He also received a Pathfinder award two years ago.

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“Managing a funeral home is something very very rewarding because we get to help people,” he said.

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He encouraged students to do what it is that they do best and to do things to make the city of Alliance better.

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“You’ve heard the phrase ‘Get rich or die trying’ but I say ‘Make a difference or die trying.’” he said.

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The assembly ended as Kyrel Keller and Zarliyah Board presented a piece of metal silhouette artwork of Martin Luther King Jr. and the words “I have a dream” carved into it from the welding class.