An assembly at Tyler Consolidated High School was held to present the school with the Jennings Randolph Award. Named for the late U.S. Sen. Jennings Randolph, the award denotes civic engagement and voter education and registration campaigns. (Photo Provided)

SISTERSVILLE – Tyler Consolidated High School has received the Jennings Randolph Award for civic engagement from the state of West Virginia.

Secretary of State Kris Warner presented 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 eligible students to vote.

The award is named for the late U.S. Sen. Jennings Randolph, a Democrat from West Virginia, who worked for 29 years for passage of the 26th Amendment to the Constitution that 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,” Warner said at a Sept. 12 assembly of seniors and faculty in the school’s auditorium.

The school earned the award for the 2019-2020 school year and the 2022-2023 school year.

Warner was joined at the presentation of the award, coinciding with National Voter Registration Month, by state Sen. 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.

Fewer than 40 West Virginia high schools out of 260 in the state earn the Jennings Randolph Award, Warner said. Dozens more attempt to earn the award every year.

A voter registration drive was held after the student assembly. Attending the event and helping Archer register eligible students were Deputy County Clerks Amy Glover, Kim Loudin and Davon Henderson. Field Representative Sarah Smith and Outreach Coordinator Jarrod Summers from the secretary of state’s office also assisted.

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