“Do you know what we called you in here for?” Lindale High School Principal Casey Neal asked LHS senior Joe Hyde with a straight face and solemn voice on Friday morning.
Joe calmly shook his head no.
“Who do we need to call, mom or dad?” Neal questioned.
Hyde shrugged but remained calm. Neal relented and before the student began
to worry, his principal smiled and told him he had some good news to share with his parents.
Joe Hyde was surprised with the presentation of the Good Neighbor Award from R.J. Collins State Farm Insurance. He received a framed certificate, a gift card to Doc’s Pizza in Lindale and a travel safety kit from Collins.
The R.J. Collins State Farm Insurance Good Neighbor Award is presented once a month during the school year to a student who represents the core values of Lindale High School: accountability, commitment, discipline, honesty, integrity, ownership, respect and responsibility. Students are nominated for the award by Lindale High School counselors and administrators. Hyde is the recipient of the award for the month of October.
Hyde is currently a member of the National Honor Society. He spent time training with the Navy over the summer and is a member of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. He plans to enlist in the reserves while attending Tyler Junior College next fall. He hopes to pursue a career in criminal justice as a peace officer. Hyde has previously been a member of the LHS track team and the Spanish Club.
Hyde said even though he kept his cool, he was a bit concerned when Neal first called him into his office. “A little bit,” he said of the jitters. “I didn’t know what I did.”
“I’m blessed they recognized me,” Hyde said. “I’ve done my best to be a good student and a good person and it’s nice to be recognized.”
Collins reiterated the importance of the award to Hyde. “Not every student is the valedictorian or the best athlete on the field,” Collins said. “There are plenty of students working hard and doing the right thing and that’s what this award is about. You deserve it.”
