Five Mount Vernon alumni were presented with awards on Sept. 27 for fine arts, service, impact, achievement, and athletics. The awards went to Lloyd Duffe (’51), Mike Seiler (’67), Dick Moore (’52), Sarah Busse (’90), and Robert Bowman (’58). As students started filing into the gym, John Rife introduced the five alumni. Then each one of the alumni gave a short speech.

Sarah Busse, who is a poet received the fine arts award. While Busse was in high school, she was interested in the arts, but never showed her poems to anyone. At the award show, Busse said, “You see words are still interesting to me even this little three-minute speech has taken me to places I didn’t know I would go, including a yellow Corvette in a hometown homecoming parade.”

Mike Seiler was awarded for his service and has done many different things including working in the Naval Air Force and is an active member of his community in San Diego. “Look around and see what you can do to help your community, doesn’t have to be a big thing … if we all work together we become a better place,” said Seiler.

The next award was given posthumously to Dick Moore for impact. His wife, Babs Moore was presented with the award and expressed Dick’s love of the school district and Mount Vernon. Moore also told the crowd about how the school entrance mural has a picture of Dick in the grand march at the homecoming dance. “It just gives me a real thrill when I walk in and see that picture every time.”

The achievement winner was Lloyd Duffe. Duffe worked for the U.S. State Department, did top-secret assignments, and traveled throughout the world.

Bob Bowman was the last to be presented an award, which was for athletics. During high school, Bowman was the first MVHS student to letter in five sports in one year and was a part of the first team to have a perfect football season.

The meeting ended with the alumni gathering in the library.