Heflin receives Outstanding Student Major Award from VAHPERD
Judy Heflin (right) accepts a VAHPERD Outstanding Student Major Award from the organizations president, Regina Kirk, at a conference in November.
Radford University recent graduate Judy Heflin of Fauquier County received an Outstanding Student Major Award at the 2014 Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (VAHPERD) state convention in Virginia Beach in November.
VAHPERD is the professional organization for health, physical education, recreation, dance and sport educators. It annually gives the Outstanding Student Major Award to students who have shown outstanding personal qualities, high ideals, good scholarship and professional ethics.
Heflin graduated from RU Dec. 13 with a degree in exercise, sport and health education with a concentration in health and physical education.
"It was such an honor to be receiving this award and knowing that my professors were the ones who nominated me for it," Heflin said. "To know that they think so highly of me makes all of my hard work worth it."
RU Health and Human Performance (HHP) Associate Professor Anna Devito nominated Heflin for the award.
HHP Instructor and RU alumnus Steve Shelton '91 said Heflin's VAHPERD recognition is a culmination of many years of excellence as a student.
"This honor highlights her professional commitment to learn and grow and become a student leader in her discipline," Shelton said. "Judy epitomizes all that is good in quality health and physical education teaching. She clearly possesses the characteristics that define effective teaching and is now being rewarded for her many talents."
In addition to receiving the award, Heflin and Shelton presented together at the conference. The student-teacher duo spoke about teaching the "hidden curriculum" in physical education through carefully selected activities.
Also representing RU through presentations at the conference were HHP faculty members Devito, Kevin Ayers and student Alex Steptoe.
Retired HHP Professor Susan Miller also was honored at the VAHPERD conference with the Pioneer Award, which recognizes outstanding service to the organization and continued service as a role model for other professionals.
RU faculty and students are actively involved in VAHPERD. In September, RU hosted more than 110 health and physical education professionals from regional K-12 schools at a regional VAHPERD workshop. Representatives from numerous southwest Virginia school divisions participated in the workshop as well as health and physical education students and instructors from RU and Emory & Henry College.