Berea College Student and Professor Honored with State Awards in Health and Human Performance


A Berea College student and professor were honored with state awards in health and human performance during the 2022 Kentucky Society of Health and Physical Educators (KYSHAPE) Annual Awards.

Robert Immell and Dr. Michelle Thornton

Robert Immell was presented with College Physical Education Student of the Year, and Dr. Michelle Thornton was presented with College Professor of the Year.

Robert Immell was presented with College Physical Education Student of the Year, and Dr. Michelle Thornton was presented with College Professor of the Year.

Immell will graduate in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Human Performance P-12 Education. He has been an active member of the Berea College Track and Cross-Country teams since 2020.

Dr. Thornton is an associate professor of Health and Human Performance who has been a member of the Berea faculty since 2016.

“The entire Education Studies Department is extremely proud of Robert Immell and Professor Thornton,” said Dr. Nicholas D. Hartlep, chair of the Education Students Department at Berea College. “Dr. Thornton’s and Mr. Immell’s recognition brings much attention to Berea College and its certification programs.”

SHAPE President Dr. Gavin Washington presided over the 2022 KYSHAPE Annual Awards recently in Berea. KYSHAPE is the state professional association for health and physical education teachers, committed to ensuring students become healthy adults, and in return, make for a better world as healthy adults. KYSHAPE gives students the tools they need to shape, construct and adapt to the world around them with conviction and pride. Students know how to stay well when schools prioritize health and can use that knowledge to thrive for life.

For more information, visit www.kyshape.org.

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Categories: News
Tags: Health and Human Performance Department, shape america

Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, focuses on learning, labor and service. The College only admits academically promising students with limited financial resources—primarily from Kentucky and Appalachia—but welcomes students from 41 states and 76 countries. Every Berea student receives a Tuition Promise Scholarship, which means no Berea student pays for tuition. Berea is one of nine federally recognized Work Colleges, so students work 10 hours or more weekly to earn money for books, housing and meals. The College’s motto, “God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth,” speaks to its inclusive Christian character.