Submitted Photo West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner recently presented the senior class at Tygarts Valley High School with the Jennings Randolph Award that is given out for civic engagement. Taking part in the ceremony was, from left, Warner, TVHS student Briella Arbogast, TVHS student Jackson Collier, and Delegate Jonathan Kyle. Arbogast and Collier were both named Honorary Secretaries of State.

MILL CREEK — West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner recently presented the senior class at Tygarts Valley High School with the prestigious Jennings Randolph Award.   

“I’m very excited that the kids have shown an interest in politics,” said Tygarts Valley High/Middle School Principal Steve Wamsley. “We try to get them interested and explain to them how important politics are in our country without trying to sway them in any direction. And our social studies teachers do a great job of doing that.” 

The award, which is named for the late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph, is given out for civic engagement. From 1942 to 1971 Randolph worked to get the nation’s voting age reduced from 21 to 18 years-old. In 1971, the 26th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed and changed the voting age to 18 years-old.  

Warner visited Tygarts Valley High School on Graduation Day (May 28) and presented the award during a senior awards ceremony held in the school’s gymnasium. To earn the award, a high school must host a student-led voter registration drive and successfully encourage at least 85 percent of eligible seniors to register to vote.  

Tygarts Valley surpassed that mark by registering 100 percent of its eligible seniors to vote. When a school reaches 100 percent milestone, a plaque signifying the achievement is created and presented to the school principal at an assembly.   

Wamsley nominated two student leaders, Briella Arbogast and Jackson Collier, as Honorary Secretaries of State. Warner presented the Jennings Randolph Award and Student Ambassador Certificates to the two seniors during the ceremony.     

“I really appreciated the efforts by Chelley Depp, she is our Civics teacher and was very instrumental in walking kids down the road here in Mill Creek to get them to go down and vote,” said Tygarts Valley High School Principal Steve Wamsley. “She was also instrumental in getting them to register to vote and I think a lot of the credit needs to go her way.”    

Since Secretary Warner took office in January 2025, more than 17,500 eligible high school students have been registered to vote.