Kristen Toy

Former President Bill Clinton’s visit to Kittanning Senior High School Wednesday afternoon provided students with numerous educational opportunities, according to history and social studies teachers.

President Clinton spoke to more than 1,000 community members and Kittanning Senior High School students in the high school gym. It was part of a campaign stop on behalf of his wife, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.

“This is a valuable educational experience,” said Joseph Fishel, a World Cultures teacher at Kittanning Senior High School. “There are only three ex-presidents who are living: Carter, the older Bush, and Clinton. I keep telling the students, ‘This is one day you’ll remember the rest of your lives.’” During morning announcements Wednesday, Fishel showed the entire Kittanning Senior High School student body a five minute video biography of former President Clinton on the school’s TV network.

“This is a very rare and unique opportunity for our students,” said Craig Klukan, an American Cultures teacher who also used class time to capitalize on the teachable opportunity. “Obviously, many high school students can’t say that the President was at their school.” The closest thing the local area has seen to this was in the late 1950s, Klukan said, when President John F. Kennedy visited the Kittanning and Ford City areas to campaign prior to being elected president.

Kittanning Senior High School student Kristen Toy (who is president of Student Council and is a senior School Board Representative) gave the welcome speech prior to President Clinton being introduced. She is the daughter of Tom and Karen Toy of Kittanning, and is in twelfth grade. She was selected by Superintendent William Kerr for the honor.

“I’m ecstatic that so many of you are able to celebrate this occasion with us,” Toy said. “We are making history here today.” She added that this is a “spectacular opportunity we have been granted. A very admirable man has come to share his opinions and answer our questions. We are all very lucky.”

Kittanning twelfth-grade student Lance Crawford said seeing President Clinton was definitely an educational experience. “Just to see a former President in person, it makes everyone realize how important it is to go out and vote, and to be registered to vote,” said Crawford, 18, of East Franklin.

Fishel, the World Cultures teacher, said many students in his class related to the fact that President Clinton had a step-father while growing up. President Clinton was born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas, three months after his father died in a traffic accident. When he was four years old, his mother wed Roger Clinton of Hot Springs, Arkansas.. In high school, he took the family name. “I think that’s something they can relate to,” Fishel said. “Many people know someone with step-parents.” Fishel also taught them that President Clinton was the second-youngest man to be elected U.S. President at age 46 in 1992—the only one younger was John F. Kennedy.

Like many high schools and colleges across Pennsylvania, educational institutions welcome these events because they add richness to the educational experience of young adults. The Clinton Campaign made the request to use the Kittanning Senior High School, and the school district would honor any similar request, school district officials said.