When Kyle Gordan was named the 2013 Warren E. Shull National High School Adviser of the Year, a roar erupted from the Collinsville and Illinois contingent that had traveled to Las Vegas for the National Association of Student Councils convention, Collinsville High School Student Council President Daniel Sims said.
Kyle Gordon / Photo courtesy of the National Association of Student Councils, ©NASSP 2013
Gordon became the first person from Illinois to win the award, presented annually since 1989 by the National Association of Student Councils. He was also named the Illinois Student Council Adviser of the Year and the Region Five Student Council Adviser of the Year this spring, qualifying him for the national honor.
Gordon was recognized primarily for his work with the CHS Student Council, but has also earned the admiration of student councils across the country. “He’s an amazing adviser and well respected at NASC and around the country for his work with student leaders,” NASC Associate Director Jeff Sherrill said.
The CHS Student Council has grown to about 400 members since Gordon took charge in 2002, becoming the largest in the country. Unlike many schools, there are no elections to become a member of the CHS Student Council, nor is there a set number of members.
There should not be a limit on how many students can join, Gordon said. “Anybody who wants to serve their school and their community is welcome,” Gordon said.
Service is a theme for Gordon’s student council. “We have move passed just organizing an event,” Gordon said. “We do things every single week that gets students involved with their school.”
The CHS Student Council is also very involved in the local community. They try to have at least one large community event every quarter, Gordon said. The groups work has drawn the attention of their principal, Eric Flohr.
“The Student Council is a beacon of light to our community, with all of the volunteer work they do for the community,” Flohr said.
The Senior Prom, is one of Gordon’s favorite events. The dance is free of charge to the senior citizens and is thrown annually at the Collinsville Senior Center by members of the CHS Student Council.
Every child at Kreitner Elementary School receives a gift at Christmas time, thanks to the student council. The gifts may be the only ones received by some of the children at Kreitner, where 94.6 percent of the students are considered low income.
In addition to community service, the 400 members can participate in 12 committees that coordinate homecoming, sponsor the faculty member of the month award and arrange many other activities at CHS.
One could go on for a very long time about the good things CHS students do through the student council, which is the way Gordon wants it. “Kyle doesn’t seek recognition,” Flohr said. “He puts the spotlight on others.”
The student council members, though, recognize and appreciate the 20 plus hours Gordon devotes to them in addition to his duties as a history teacher. Sims, Student Council Historian Sydney Bartelsmann and head of the Kahok Krazies, Holly Bluemner all agreed that Gordon has a great work ethic and a strong desire to help all students.
“He works incredibly hard, and he does so much for the student council,” Sims said. “He does more than I even know.”
Bartelsmann is also the State Treasurer for the Illinois Association of Student Councils. She ran for the position with the encouragement of Gordon, who prepared her for the selection process and even rode with her to the interview in Bloomington, Bartelsmann said.
Gordon, an avid Cardinal baseball fan with bachelor’s and a master’s degree from McKendree University, as well as a master’s degree from Maryville University, also won the 2009 Illinois Student Council Adviser of the Year award.
“His belief in the goodness and the capability of our students really separates him from other educators,” Flohr said.
