MARCH 22, 2000
Did you ever know that you could be a hero?
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
Everyone has the capacity to be a "superhero'' in someone else's life. It just takes the courage to be encouraging. And having a blue and red spandex outfit doesn't hurt either.
Dave Leedy, a veteran teacher of 32 years and motivational speaker, "stripped'' to his super hero costume to entertain and enlighten the audience of students, parents and educators. The annual county schools' National Machinery Awards program Monday night was hosted by Bettsville School.
"Eight years ago I was asked to go to a school and speak,'' Leedy told them. "There were 800 children there, ages four to eight years old. And something one little boy in the second grade said changed my life forever.''
When asked what there was about superheros they liked, the boy replied, "They make me feel good to be in the same room with them.''
"Everyone can be a superhero to someone else,'' Leedy said. "You just have to do something every day for another human being, without expecting anything in return.''
So Leedy decided to don the garb of a superhero, in particular Superman, to show that even he could be a superhero every day. He urged every young person in the audience to have a plan, to have something to do every day. "So many young people let their lives happen by accident,'' he told them. "You need to prepare for it prayerfully, get a plan, so that you can pursue your goals and dreams.''
And according to Leedy there are two words missing from a first-grader's vocabulary: "failure'' and "can't.''
"There are some people in high school that try and fail at something, and then never try again,'' he explained. "We have to make sure that young people who put their hands up to try, and fail at it, have the opportunity to try again.''
He recounted a particular low point in his life, as a 15-year-old, which was irrevocably changed by one teacher, who took an interest in him. "She asked me a question that changed my life,'' Leedy said. "She asked if I had gone out for wrestling.'' He became a wrestler, did well in his weight class, and improved his overall confidence in himself.
"Every young person needs courage to be a great human being,'' Leedy added. Then he saw his teacher once again, just two years ago, and found out that he had made an impact on her life's direction as well. She had thought of leaving education but stayed with it because of him. "It hit me,'' she told me. "Why I am doing this job? And it was because I have made a difference in the life of one human being.''
"Together we can make a difference in both our lives,'' Leedy told the students and their parents.
National Machinery Citizenship cash award winners were: Bettsville, Laura Barr, Nathan Weyant and Abby Windau; Hopewell-Loudon, Lindsay Borer, Troy Coppus, Neil Harber, Andrew Hiser, Douglas Jesse, Ashley Miller and Lauren Roush; Mohawk, Melody Bianchi, Joel Everhart, Jenny Graham, Tessa Hartschuh, Deanna Kirian, Amanda Lust, Kyle Manz, Amanda Payne, Kristal Reis, Natalie Walton, Derek Weaver and Karen Weyand; New Riegel, Michael Frankart, Brett Hammer, Darin Nye and Jami Rosier; Old Fort, Jessica Berlekamp, Aaron Burks, Brian Kistler, Jeremy Meade, Jeremy Riehm, Jennifer Seigley and Jared Stearns; and Seneca East, Jennifer Bischoff, Julie Bumb, Jason Burkholder, Dana Frisch, April Hafner, Valerie Kessler, Katherine McConnell, Mari Miller, Margo Phillips, Jordan Schank, Charissa Thompson and Kurt Weaver.