Lawrenceburg native serves as instructor in Presidential Classroom

   Lawrenceburg native Noah Chad Shannon was recently selected for the distinctive honor of serving as a Volunteer Instructor in the 2009 Presidential Classroom program.

   Shannon enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January of 2004. He graduated from Bethel College in 2006 with a major in Business Management.

   In January of 2007 Shannon attended Officer Candidate School 194. He was commissioned as an officer the following March. Just one month later Shannon and wife Robin were blessed with the birth of daughter Tenley Cate Shannon.

   One year later, April 2008, the family packed up and moved to Quantico, Virginia, so that Shannon could attend a six month Leadership Academy called “The Basic School.”            From January until May of 2008, Shannon attended a Logistics Officer Course. He indicates that he simultaneously held billets of Executive Officer, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Platoon Commander, and Safety Officer of Truck Company B, 200 Marines. Last September Shannon entered the Masters of Business Administration program at Bethel College. He took his LSAT test on February 7, and now intends to attend law school beginning in 2010.

   With all of this experience and flurry of activity under his belt, Shannon began to consider volunteering to serve as an instructor for the 2009 Presidential Classroom, a long-standing program geared toward allowing students an opportunity to see government in action, and learn about how the federal government works.

   The following press release was issued regarding Shannon’s service:

   “Presidential Classroom (PC), the nation’s venerable civic education organization, recognizes Noah Chad Shannon as a 2009 PC Volunteer Instructor. Shannon has been selected from hundreds of highly-qualified applicants, professionals of various fields, to facilitate a 2009 PC by encouraging young leaders to be active and engaged citizens.

   “’Our Volunteer Instructors assist in providing students with the rare opportunity to view our federal government at work, discuss key issues with Washington policymakers, and to discover the importance of responsible citizenship,’ says Acting Executive Director, Maria Darie. ‘PC Volunteer Instructors are a select group of professionals who sacrifice their time to facilitate an amazing week of activities for some of the nation’s most outstanding high school students. Our Volunteer Instructors help the students bring the lesions they learn at PC to life.’

   “PC is Washington DC’s oldest presidential-civic education honors program, bringing outstanding high school juniors and seniors from all fifty states, and around the world, to week long conferences in the nation’s capitol. In 1968 it was created as a nonprofit to prepare young leaders for responsible citizenship and the chance to explore the political process firsthand. PC offers eight unique and challenging leadership development experiences, focusing on key issues such as politics, media, science and technology, law and justice, national security and international relations.. Each week students attend a seminar on the Floor of the House of Representatives with a member of Congress, attend a briefing on world affairs at the State Department, attend scheduled appointment meetings at the offices of their two United States Senators and their Member of Congress, and attend seminars with topic experts and Washington insiders around the nation’s capitol.

   “PC is approved by the National Association of secondary School Principals Student Activity Listing, and endorsed by the National Education Association and the Congressional Youth Award.”

   Shannon became interested in participating in the honored program, especially since this year’s program included participation in the Inaugural Ceremony. Shannon credits State Representative Joey Hensley with helping to secure his inclusion in this year’s program. Shannon explained, “He wrote me a letter of recommendation that resulted in my acceptance to the program…I’d really like to express my gratitude for his kindness.” Shannon was one of only eighteen individuals selected from among hundreds of applicants to serve as this year’s instructors.

   Shannon is the son of Noah and Cindy Shannon and the grandson of Noah and Sharon Shannon and Ezra and Jane Dye. He has three sisters:  Courtney Woods, Colbie Niswander and Carmen Shannon. His mother and father in law are Edna and Buddy Cyer.

   Shannon is scheduled to deploy with the Third Battalion Sixth Marines in September of this year.