Hiremath Prize

At a Veteran’s Day assembly at Ironwood Ridge High School, Reverend James Briney was inspired by the exchange between the veterans who had fought for our freedoms and the educators and students who were now exercising those freedoms in an atmosphere of learning.

In his effort to honor teachers and students, Reverend Briney created the Waters Excellent Educator Recognition Award and the Hiremath Student Integrity Prize through the Excellent Educator & Student Integrity Fund established at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona in 2014.

The fund awards a cash prize to both an educator nominated by colleagues for their excellence and authentic inspiration to students, and to a student who submits an essay about integrity. “The important thing is that you recognize the presence of integrity when you look in the mirror,” shared Reverend Briney, who hopes to see the awards become models for even more high schools in the future in an effort to recognize excellent teachers and students who explore the notion of integrity.

The Hiremath Student Integrity Prize honors the community and public service of Dr. Satish I. Hiremath. At the age of 16, Satish dedicated his life to serving others.  Dr. Hiremath has the mind of a scientist and the heart of an athlete. He earned an advanced degree at an HBCU (Howard) and he is a Big 10 Tennis Champion (Michigan). Satish is a person of integrity who makes decisions on the basis of reason, information, and facts, while fostering an atmosphere of good faith. Every year, the Hiremath Prize is open to students attending Ironwood Ridge High School and University High School.

Congratulations to Madison McCartt, the 2022-2023 Hiremath Student Integrity Prize recipient at Ironwood Ridge High School, and Katherine Wilbur, the 2022-2023 Hiremath Student Integrity Prize recipient at University High School.