COLCHESTER, Vt. – Thomas Harvey, a teacher at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris, was named in December an Unsung Hero by Saint Michael’s College.

Jenny Pietroski, a graduate of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and a student at Saint Michael’s, nominated Harvey for the award, saying, “This teacher has not only taught me almost everything I need to know to become a good writer, he has taught me life lessons I still use today. At the age of 64, he is still teaching with passion and a love for learning.”

Saint Michael’s, a liberal arts residential Catholic college, selected 58 unsung heroes from high schools throughout New England, based on nominations from Saint Michael’s students.

The awards went to “heroic teachers who truly made a difference in students’ lives and inspired them to pursue higher education,” said Jerry Flanagan, Saint Michael’s vice president for admission and enrollment.

“Our communities are made up of people doing heroic things every day. Military personnel, firefighters and police officers may come to mind first and rightly so, however, we feel teachers top the list of other ‘unsung’ heroes of our day,” Flanagan said in a letter to Principal Ted Moccia.

“We honor those teachers who provide their students with the academic skills and moral support necessary to be successful in post-secondary pursuits,” he added, saying, “I hope that you will continue to send the best and brightest from Oxford Hills High School to Saint Michael’s College.”