By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Thompson Intermediate School fifth-graders on Nov. 20 honored local heroes ranging from military personnel and law enforcement officers to one of their own classmates who overcame a battle with cancer.

As part of the Liberty Learning Foundation’s Super Citizen program, each TIS fifth-grade class formed a “Torch Team” and spent the past several weeks identifying individuals to honor as local heroes. Each person recognized as a “Super Citizen” received small Statue of Liberty statues containing metal from the actual statue.

“Through this program, you have learned what it means to be outstanding, responsible citizens. With everything going on in the world today, that is more important than ever,” TIS Principal Brent Byars said. “No matter what job title you will have later in life, you hold a more important title, and that is the title of citizen.”

The TIS students honored the following individuals during the ceremony:

 

-Timothy Wass, who serves in the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

-Neely Woodley, the principal of Thompson Middle School.

 

-Justin Fincher, a technology employee at Children’s Hospital who provides iPads for sick children.

 

-Brent Byars, the principal of Thompson Intermediate School.

 

-Rodger Offet, a U.S. Air Force veteran who volunteers with the Red Cross.

 

-Christofer Rodriquez, a TIS student and cancer survivor.

 

-Noah Galloway, a former U.S. Army sergeant and Purple Heart recipient.

 

-John Samaniego, the Shelby County sheriff.

 

-Eddie Lovelady, a retired Birmingham Police Department officer.

 

-Jarred Kato, the founder of Objective Homefront in Alabaster.

 

-Alisha Clayton, who serves in the U.S. Air Force.

 

-Louis Powell, a World War II veteran.

 

-Officer Jason Greene, an Alabaster police officer and TIS school resource officer.

 

-Ashley Rose, a U.S. Air Force medic.

 

-Richard Mitchell, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart.

 

-Cinnamon Banks, a pediatric nurse at Children’s of Alabama.

 

-Jerry Smith, a U.S. Army veteran who served for 26 years.