A ‘Life-Changing Experience’: 2023 Fellows Explore LMC’s Unsung Heroes

Michelle Wolfe (WV ’21)
English language arts teacher | East Hardy High School | Baker, WV

In preparation for my time at LMC, I had spent some time with the center’s website and looked at the student projects posted there. LMC Chief Executive Officer Norm Conard (KS ’92) had also shared a flash drive and some other resources at the Milken Educator Awards Forum last spring, so I was familiar with the many excellent electronic resources available for educators to access.

LMC itself is so beautifully curated, and the people who work there are so warm and passionate, that I strongly encourage everyone to visit. LMC Program Director Megan Felt told the most moving story about how the History Day Project she did as a student of Mr. Conard’s turned into her life’s work. Her connection with Irena Sendler, her Unsung Hero, was inspiring. Megan and Norm’s partnership made me remember how truly transformative a rich educational experience can be.

Fort Scott is a very special small town, rich in history and charm. The locals could not have been more welcoming and supportive of the Fellows. They made me feel like a celebrity. We also had the opportunity to tour the fort, visit the Gordon Parks Museum, and explore the LaRoche Baseball Complex. In a special surprise ceremony, the Fellows were presented with keys to the city. I never expected this honor, and I can’t wait to tell my students about it.

My brain has been forever changed by my fellowship at LMC. I see Unsung Heroes everywhere I go. I had the great fortune to tour a few civil rights museums in Montgomery, Alabama, a few weeks after leaving Fort Scott, and I found myself writing down names of heroes I want to introduce to my students. When I picked up my daughter from her STEM summer camp, I noticed a few female leaders in radio astronomy who would also make fabulous Unsung Hero topics.

I am a high school ELA teacher, so many of my essential standards focus on research skills. This is the first time in my teaching career that I am really looking forward to teaching research. The Unsung Hero projects can be so much more than a standard research essay. I am excited to embrace the project-based learning strategies that I learned as a Fellow and help students produce a website, documentary, or performance to share their research with their community. My intention is to have students enter LMC’s Discovery Award competition in 2024.

I also feel like the Fellows have a special bond because of our shared experience. I had the great pleasure of learning from Silvia Miranda Cano (NM ’18) and hearing about her Unsung Hero Chester Nez. Bill Smithyman (KS ’15) shared some very helpful tips and helped me think about making the project my own. Like the Milken Award, the LMC Fellowship has connected me with educators from across the country and around the world.