[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING FRANK BECKWITH AS THE 2012 HURLBURT AFA CHAPTER 398 MIDDLE 
                       SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2012

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
congratulate Mr. Frank Beckwith, the 2012 Hurlburt Air Force 
Association Chapter 398 Middle School Teacher of the Year.
  A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a 
veteran of Desert Storm, Mr. Beckwith continued his service and 
leadership in a different capacity--this time as a teacher. He began 
teaching in 1993 in North Carolina, and in 2001, he moved to Santa Rosa 
County to teach at Avalon Middle School in Milton, Florida.
  Mr. Beckwith has engaged his students through his passion for science 
and its use as a tool for problem solving. To enhance their learning, 
he procured data processing equipment for the classroom and has 
motivated students to excel in science, technology, engineering, and 
math education through innovative programs. He founded the STEAM 
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Activity, and Math) program, where 
students are afforded the opportunity to spend the day on Blackwater 
River, competing in various categories, including measuring water 
chemistry, mapping river depth, and racing to haul one person's daily 
water consumption from the river to a tank. He is also the sponsor and 
coach for the school's BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and 
Technology) Robotics team.
  Aside from teaching at Avalon Middle School, Mr. Beckwith also serves 
as a faculty associate at the University of West Florida and is 
President of the Santa Rosa County Science Teacher's Association.
  Frank Beckwith's desire to teach is rooted in his family, through his 
father and grandfather, and was also inspired by his high school 
science teachers. Their guidance, enhanced by his experience and 
understanding of the importance and power of education, help built the 
strong foundation from which Mr. Beckwith teaches and empowers his 
students to strive for excellence. His greatness lies well beyond his 
title as Hurlburt AFA Chapter 398 Middle School Teacher of the Year--it 
lies in the hearts and minds of those who have been deeply impacted by 
his dedication to the teaching profession and service to our great 
nation.
  On behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to recognize Mr. 
Frank Beckwith for his great achievements and honorable service. My 
wife Vicki joins me in wishing him all of the best.

                          ____________________