By CAITLIN TRAYNOR Dispatch Staff Writer Twitter.com/DispatchCaitlin

ONEIDA Ten Oneida High School graduates and retired teachers will be recognized for their achievements and community contributions Sept. 8 as the inaugural class of the Oneida City School District Foundations Wall of Distinction.

As a way to give back to a community that has given so much to it, Foundation Board Member Sue Tyler said it wants to recognize those who have distinguished themselves in their careers and their communities.

On Sept. 8 the foundation will host a dinner to recognize those individuals at the Kallet Civic Center at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by foundation board members, at the district office or at the Costello Sr.-Allen Eye Associates on Seneca Street. Proceeds from the dinner will be used to fund teacher grants and student scholarships. Tyler hopes that the Wall of Distinction will continue to be a fundraiser for the foundation in the future.

With a goal of inspiring students to be successful, Wall of Distinction nominees must have graduated from Oneida at least 10 years prior to their nomination and have exemplified the tenets of the OCSD educational philosophy throughout their lives. Teachers and employees must be retired for at least five years before being nominated.

Tyler hopes the Wall of Distinction, which is anticipated to be installed near the entrance of the Fariel Gym, will promote school and community pride and spirit.

The inaugural Wall of Distinction class includes:

Joseph Awad a 1972 graduate who is now a prominent lawyer in New York City and has served as the president of the New York State Law Association, as the governor of the American Association for Justice and many other organizations.

Peg Brown a retired physical education teacher from Oneida and now St. Patricks School principal; she has served as the chairwoman of the Central Area Association of Womens Physical Education of New York State and coached field hockey, basketball, softball and volleyball.

John Campanie a 1970 graduate who is now a prominent local attorney and the Madison County attorney, a past president of the Madison County Attorney Association and the Madison County Bar Association.

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10 Oneida High School grads, teachers to join inaugural Wall of Distinction