Photo courtesy of Jason Gaston.
HHS student award winner John Charles Nichols, faculty award winner Robert Cofield and SPHS student award winner Jeff Bannon at the 20th annual Finley Awards.
Hoover City Schools held the 20th annual Finley Awards in March at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. This annual, district-wide award ceremony recognizes an employee and two graduating Hoover City School seniors who exemplify good character. John Charles Nichols of Hoover High School and Jeff Bannon of Spain Park High School were selected at the student winners. Robert Cofield, a twelfth grade English teacher at HHS, was the faculty award winner.
In addition, every school in the system had winners from each grade level, and those in grades third through twelfth were also honored during the ceremony.
The Finley Awards for Character Education program began in 1996 as a tribute to Coach Bob Finley’s character. Finley was a longtime educator, serving at Hoover's original high school (W.A. Berry High School) from 1963-1994. With his untimely death in the summer of 1994, Coach Finley left the legacy of exemplary character for youth to emulate. In its 20 years, the Finley Banquet has grown in size and scope to honor students and faculty.
