The Newcastle Diamond Awards were hosted at the Newcastle Golf Club on January 19, and many Liberty students and staff were nominated to receive awards for their service to Liberty and the community around it.
Football coach and English teacher Steve Valach was nominated for an award recognizing excellence in education.
“It was a great honor. I feel really fortunate to have been recognized, and I think it’s neat that the City of Newcastle does this to recognize people that are either doing community service or education or other fields. I think it’s cool that we live in a community where people are looking for things to acknowledge or recognize,” Valach said.
Other award nominees included sophomores Olivia Lesnik and McKenzie King, who were recognized for service to their community. They did various forms of community service, which they summarized in a 30 page essay which explained how their efforts have affected the world around us.
“Dedicating ourselves to community service and getting that award; it means a lot,” sophomore Olivia Lesnik said. “It’s pretty special, getting something like that.”