Heritage High teacher Bonny List says even though student Alex Ware battles Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes muscle degeneration, he does not let it hold him back from achieving great things.
The senior was recently awarded the Division for Special Education Services and Supports Award of Excellence for academic and extracurricular achievement.
“I could not have won this award without Ms. Bonny List,” Ware said during a special ceremony the Catoosa County Board of Education hosted in his honor. “She has worked with me since the first grade.”
Heritage High School senior Alex Ware accepts an award from Superintendent Denia Reese.
Photo by Katie Ward HamiltonWare said he enjoyed learning from all his Heritage High teachers because they are concerned about their students. His favorite classes were all his English courses, he added. This year that meant Advanced Placement literature.
Despite completing an internship at TVA, running Individualized Education Planning meetings and attending classes that also include economics and pre-calculus, his high school grade point average is a 3.6.
“I got accepted into Dalton State College,” Ware said. “I will wait a year to get on Medicaid so I can get a personal care assistant. I will think about college again after that. I want to become Microsoft certified to get a job as an IT tech.”