Heather Riganti, an American Government and U.S. History teacher at Kendrick High School, has been selected as the James Madison Memorial Fellow for the state of Georgia. Riganti will spend four weeks, next July, at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. studying the U.S. Constitution, founding fathers, and other documents significant to American Government and U.S. History. As a fellow, Riganti will be awarded $24,000 toward the Summer Institute on the Constitution and the continuation of her graduate studies. She is currently pursuing a Masters in American Government and U.S. History at Ashland University.
 
"It is an immense honor to be awarded a James Madison Memorial Fellowship. I am committed to bettering myself through opportunities like this.  There is always more for me to learn, especially in U.S. History and American Government,” said Riganti.
 
According to The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, the program was established by Congress in 1986 for the purpose of improving teaching about the United States Constitution in secondary schools. The Foundation, an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the federal government, developed the Graduate Fellowship program in honor of Madison's legacy and principles regarding the Constitution, its history, and contemporary relevance to the practices and policies of democratic government. One teacher, per state, is selected as a fellow each year.
 
“This fellowship will allow me to be more confident as an educator as I strive to develop into the educator of quality and distinction that my students deserve."