ASHLAND — The importance of education was never lost on the family of Rick Biggs.

His four daughters — Lauren, Shauna, Kate and Kelsey — have excelled in school. Lauren and Shauna are in college at the University of Kentucky, Kate is a sophomore at Paul G. Blazer High School and Kelsey an honor student at Verity Middle School.

It was Kelsey — “My baby,” Dad calls her — who wrote an essay sharing the importance of education that helped him become the Ashland Breakfast Kiwanis Club’s Father of the Year. It is the 29th year the club has given the award.

“Highlight of my life,” Randy Biggs told the large gathering of Kiwanians at Shoney’s on Tuesday morning. “My girls are the only thing that matters to me. This is really about them.”

Kelsey, 13, wrote in her essay about how her father makes every experience a learning one.

“When we go places, there is always something that he is teaching us,” she wrote. “The things that I appreciate him most for is the fact that he put our family and education first, and made them go hand in hand.”

The oldest daughter, Lauren, who is 21, couldn’t make the ceremony because she was taking classes at UK. So far, so good for her there — she’s a senior pre law major with a 4.0 GPA.

Shauna, 20, is a junior at UK and made the dean’s list, while Kate, 15, and Kelsey are honor students at their schools, too.

“When I heard about this, it was such a surprise, a pleasant surprise,” Biggs said. “I can’t believe this has happened. I couldn’t tell anybody for a while. Now I can’t wait to get out and tell everyone.”

Biggs said he always stressed education and tried to make it family fun, too. For instance, on trips, they would quiz each other about various subjects. “It was part of being with the family,” he said.

Biggs, a 1977 graduate of Blazer, is a licensed CPA and Realtor. He is the business manager of the King’s Daughters Family Care Centers.

All of his daughters expressed pride in their father winning the award.

“It’s a nice accomplishment,” Shauna said.

“We’ve been lucky to have a good mother and father who set our priorities high,” Kate said. “I’m proud of Kelsey, too. She’s a great writer.”

Kelsey’s essay was one of more than 100 submitted through Ashland, Boyd County and Fairview schools. A panel selected the winner, which was read to the group by Lynn Hutchinson, wife of chairman Jay Hutchinson, at Tuesday’s meeting.

“My dad is so important to me,” Kelsey wrote. “He was a keystone in what and how I learned as I had grown. He is one of the most understanding people I know, but he remains stern on the outside.”

Dad was touched by his youngest daughter’s thoughtful words.

“Kelsey just does everything,” he said. “I hope I live up to all these attributes. I always felt like the luckiest man on Earth anyway.”



—

Here are some comments from other essay writers about their fathers.

“He writes songs for me and tells me stories about his childhood.”

“He works for people who don’t appreciate him.”

“He takes me to get peanut butter milkshakes at Crisp’s.”

“My father is a very special person. Yes, he can be annoying and mean at times, but I still love him.”

“He is the perfect man for my mom.”

“He spends all his spare time with my grandmother who has cancer.”

“He’s my cousin, but he has done everything that a father should do for his kid.”

“He has taught me sports, helped me with my problems, and showed me character.”

“He is in Iraq helping with the war.”

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.