By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – While working to teach engineering classes at Calera and Thompson high schools, help students design prosthetic legs and utility vehicles for developing countries and fostering a relationship between Alabaster and Honduras over the past several years, Brian Copes has had an impact in many students’ lives.

While Copes is no stranger to praise ­– as “People” magazine named him as one of the top-five teachers in the nation in 2012 and the Environmental Education Association of Alabama named him the Best Environmental Educator in 2014 – He had never received praise like he did at Alabaster’s Board of Education meeting on Nov. 9.

Near the beginning of the meeting, the School Board, Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers and Copes’ father, Marvin, surprised the THS engineering teacher with a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the highest educator volunteer award given by the White House.

The award, which honors Copes’ “Lifelong commitment to building a stronger nation through volunteer service,” was signed by President Barack Obama, and recognizes Copes for having more than 4,000 volunteer hours.

After the meeting, Copes said he was “shocked” to receive the award, and said he did not know he was a candidate to receive it.

“It’s truly an honor,” Copes said during an interview after the meeting.

Marvin Copes said the award is distributed in four levels: Bronze, silver, gold and lifetime, and is based on the number of volunteer hours a person has recorded when they are nominated.

“This program was started with (President) H.W. Bush’s Points of Light program, and it doesn’t go any higher than the lifetime award,” Marvin Copes said.

Vickers said the award is an honor for the entire school system.

“Four thousand community service hours is amazing,” Vickers said. “It came with a letter from President Obama, which is a great honor in itself.

“We are very proud of Brian and the impact he has had on students,” Vickers added.