(KNZA)--A Hiawatha high school senior has received the Dale Dennis Excellence in Education Award, sponsored by United School Administrators of Kansas .

High School Principal Lori Fordyce announced last Friday that Kate Madsen has demonstrated the characteristics necessary to receive the annual award given in honor of the longtime Kansas educational leader.

Dennis retired as deputy commissioner of the Kansas State Department of Education in September of last year after serving the state and its students for 53 years.

Recipients of the award are identified from their schools and across the state as individuals who have displayed the citizenship, community and schools service, scholarship, and strong self-awareness that make them a quality individual.

The award was established in 1996 by Kansas school administrators to honor the long and valuable service Dennis has provided to the students and educators of Kansas.

The individual attributes which characterize Dennis as a friend of education, and more importantly as a first class citizen, are the basis for determining the recipient of the award.