Tyler Consolidated High School presented with the prestigious Jennings Randolph Award for civic engagement

Sistersville, W.Va. – Tyler Consolidated High School (TCHS) is the latest to join an elite group of West Virginia high schools to earn the prestigious Jennings Randolph Award for civic engagement. WV Secretary of State Kris Warner visited the school to present the Award to Principal Paden Morris for not one year, but two.

The Jennings Randolph Award is earned when a West Virginia high school has a student-led voter education campaign and voter registration drive to register at least 85% of their eligible students to vote. The Award is named for the late Jennings Randolph, the United States Senator from West Virginia who worked for 29 years towards passage of the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1972.

"It is an honor for me to be here today to not only present Tyler Consolidated with the Jennings Randolph Award for one year, but for two years," Secretary Warner told the senior assembly and faculty who gathered in the school's auditorium.

TCHS earned the Award for both the 2019-2020 school year and the 2022-2023 school year.

Joining Secretary Warner with the presentation of the Award as well as in a student assembly for National Voter Registration Month was State Senator Charles Clements, Tyler County Clerk Neal Archer, Tyler County Commissioners Mike Smith and Eric Vincent, and Tyler County Board of Education members Scott Strode and Diana Stender.

Each year, there are fewer than 40 West Virginia high schools out of approximately 260 in the state that earn the Jennings Randolph Award. Dozens more attempt to earn the Award every year.

A voter registration drive was held after the student assembly. Attending the event and helping Clerk Archer registering eligible students were Deputy County Clerks Amy Glover, Kim Loudin, and Davon Henderson. WVSOS Field Representative Sarah Smith and WVSOS Outreach Coordinator Jarrod Summers also assisted.

"I want to return to Tyler Consolidated High School to present the 2025-2026 class with the Jennings Randolph Award," Secretary Warner told the students in his challenge for them to register to vote.

"The most basic and important right of being a West Virginia citizen is to also be a registered voter. It is a crucial part of our civic duty as citizens to participate in elections to decide who will represent us at the local, county, state, and national levels," the Secretary said.

Secretary Warner also publicly thanked TCHS Principal Paden Morris, Counselor Terri McCoy, and civics teacher Tara Byard for their leadership and encouragement with the students.