Cabell Midland teacher wins Presidential Award; student wins U.S. Congressional App Challenge

Cabell Midland High School teacher Adam Riazzi was honored at the Cabell County Board of Education meeting on Feb. 4 after earning the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, a national recognition for K–12 STEM and computer‑science instruction.

Riazzi told the board he had not yet received the formal certificate or the National Science Foundation $10,000 prize, and said the award recognizes students as much as teachers. “I have not received a certificate from the president yet. I haven't been to DC yet, nor have I received $10,000,” Riazzi said, adding that he planned to mentor other county teachers through the nomination process.

The board also heard from Cabell Midland senior Anna Elkins, who said she won the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for an app that maps farmers markets in West Virginia and provides history and benefits information. Elkins demonstrated the app’s sections for history, benefits and locations and noted the app links to Farm Fresh West Virginia and the national Farmers Market Coalition for additional information. “Coming from Appalachia where local community and self‑sustainability are staples of my upbringing, I was always aware that buying directly from the farm was better than any store‑bought produce,” Elkins said.

Superintendent Hardesty and board members congratulated both Riazzi and Elkins. Hardesty described Riazzi’s award as “the highest award in our field,” and board members said they appreciated Riazzi’s practice of emphasizing students in recognition statements. Riazzi said he plans to host a session about the nomination and application process for other educators in the county.

No formal board action was required for these presentations; they were part of the meeting’s recognitions and special celebrations.