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First Week of 2025 Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Fellows Arrive in Fort Scott, Kansas
Educators to embark on a project-based learning journey in discovering, developing and communicating the stories of Unsung Heroes from history
June 16, 2025
FORT SCOTT, Kan., – Twelve outstanding educators – hailing from Kansas, New York, Missouri, Louisiana, Connecticut, Montana, and Canada – have been selected for the Lowell Milken Center (LMC) for Unsung Heroes' prestigious 2025 Fellowship. Divided into two cohorts, the first six educators touched down in Fort Scott this week to collaborate with LMC staff, with the following six arriving next week.
The LMC Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning. LMC selects exemplary teachers from the U.S. and globally who will engage in projects that discover, develop and communicate the stories of Unsung Heroes in history – the core mission of LMC.
LMC is an international nonprofit, established in 2007 as a partnership between philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken and 1992 Kansas Milken Educator and history teacher Norm Conard. With headquarters in Fort Scott, Kansas, LMC has hosted visitors from all 50 U.S. states and around the world. The 2025 LMC Fellows will experience the impact of the museum’s walls of Unsung Heroes in-person, bringing the inspirational stories back to their own classrooms to be elevated through powerful student-driven projects.
During their time in Fort Scott, LMC Fellows gain knowledge, educational resources and support in helping students cultivate a passion for learning through the creation of projects that initiate positive change. Fellows will be prepared to develop Unsung Heroes projects with their students, applying and evaluating the stories of these role models who have changed the world throughout history.
Meet the first six LMC Fellows:
Theresa Cantwell is an LMC National Discovery Award winner and middle school social studies teacher in Jericho, New York. She has inspired her students to explore history in new ways – fostering many LMC National Discovery Award, History Day project, and New York State's Annual Student Research Awards winners. She was most recently named the Long Island History Day Teacher of the Year.
Valerie Conklin is an LMC National Discovery Award winner and secondary library media specialist at Jericho Schools in Jericho, New York. Valerie has been a leader and resource for many students and teachers. With her guidance, their projects have won national awards in history competitions, including several LMC National Discovery Awards.
Alex Lahasky is a 2023 Kansas Milken Educator and 11th grade social studies teacher at Blue Valley West High School where he inspires his students to delve into history. His innovative activities, including a spy simulation and historical musical mixtapes, ignite his students' passion for the past and make meaningful connections to the present. He serves as the social studies department chair and extends his positive influence to students outside of the classroom as an assistant baseball coach.
Meghan Menchella is a 2023 Missouri Milken Educator and eighth grade social studies teacher at Crestview Middle School in Ellisville. Her exemplary ability to make history come alive has energized her students and helped strengthen their performance on U.S. history assessments. Students become a part of historical events as their classroom turns into the Boston Massacre crime scene or the Salem Witch Trials courtroom. Meghan's keen eye for engaging students is also reflected in her positions as co-leader of National Junior Honor Society and Leader in Me Student Lighthouse Team.
Kelly Ryan is a 2023 Louisiana Milken Educator and an environmental science and chemistry teacher at Slidell's Northshore High School, where she engages her 11th and 12th graders in collaborative scientific exploration. She instills her students with analytical reasoning and higher-order thinking skills, incorporating project-based learning and hands-on lab experiences that increase their intellectual growth. Outside of science, Kelly leads ACT preparation classes, serves on her district's ACT committee, and sponsors National Honor Society and robotics.
Jay Weisman is a 2021 Louisiana Milken Educator and geometry and statistics teacher at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, where he brings creativity and enthusiasm to his classroom. By infusing project-based learning into his math classes, Jay creates a joyful, collaborative environment where his students can excel. Whether hosting his "Mission Impossible" themed assessment reviews or setting up a "secure vault" laser game for geometry, he prepares his students for success as the math department chair. Additionally, he sponsors his school's Jewish culture, young musicians, mock trial, and spirit clubs.
About LMC
Established in 2007 by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken and Milken Educator Norm Conard (KS '92), the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes (LMC) discovers, develops and communicates the stories of Unsung Heroes who have profoundly and positively impacted history, yet are largely unrecognized by contemporary generations. LMC has reached over 3,000,000 students in all 50 states and worldwide. Learn more about LMC and the Discovery Award. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.