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Selfless Service

December 01, 2022
By Megan Johnston

On November 10, after the school’s celebration of the annual Veterans Mass, current teacher and veteran Mark Risen honored his colleague Sherrie Bashaw with a military unit “challenge” coin.  Military units give these out for rising to challenges, recognition for achievements, upon departing a unit, etc.  Sherrie was honored with a coin from Mark’s last unit, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. Mark offered many reasons Sherrie deserved the challenge coin including, “She is always selflessly serving behind the scenes.” Selfless service is a core military value.

Here are just a few examples of things that Sherrie does to support Blanchet’s students, staff and her community:  She makes and delivers cupcakes for every student on their birthday; she organizes the collection and washing of shoes for the 1000 Soles program and helps kids affected by homelessness;  she and her leadership class decorate the halls with posters of support for all the sports teams and activities as well as create tags for all the students who participate in sports, activities and fine arts; she advises the Students for Change Club and spends hours doing random act of kindness at Blanchet and in the community; she retired from coaching volleyball but has volunteered her time every season since to help the program continue to succeed; she works with kids to send encouragement cards to one another throughout the year; she started and organizes the annual Veterans Mass and Blue Mass honoring other selfless servants in our community; and the list goes on and on.
 
Mark said, “I felt her selfless service, let alone the fact that it was our Veterans Day Mass and she was the choreographer (once again), was the perfect setting to give her the challenge coin.” In his presentation, Mark asked each student to stand if they had been on the receiving end of Sherrie’s selfless service.  The gym was filled with applause as students stood to celebrate a well deserved recognition for an amazing teacher and role model. 

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