CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The top eighth-grade students in West Virginia were inducted as knights and ladies of the Golden Horseshoe during a Friday morning ceremony at the state Culture Center.
Dr. Michael Martirano, state Superintendent of Schools, dubbed more than 220 students statewide.
Joey Dingeldein, am eighth grader at Taylor County Middle School in Taylor County, was one of them.
“I feel honored and privileged to be one of the few competing with all the eighth grade students in West Virginia,” he said.
“It feels good to be the most educated of West Virginia in my whole school,” said Kaylee Gray, who attends Moundsville Middle School in Marshall County.
Students were awarded for their excellence after taking a West Virginia history class. Betty Watson of Fayette County said it’s important to learn state history for a reason.
“Because if you don’t learn history, it will repeat itself,” said Watson, who goes to Meadow Bridge Middle School. “I kept a notebook and just kept studying and finally won.”
So did Gray who said she now knows “where things came from and how things were made.”
Dingeldein, who plans to become an architect some day, said the honor motivated him to go after his goals.
“It took a lot of practice,” he said. “It keeps a foot in my back end to keep working.”
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin welcomed the group of students. Secretary of State Natalie Tennant was also on hand for Friday’s event.
The Golden Horseshoe ceremony has been around for years beginning in 1931. Since then, nearly 15,000 West Virginia students have been inducted.