July 19, 2023 // Local

Corpus Christi Student Wins National Handwriting Award

Jill Boughton

Freelance Writer

Andrew Clevenger, a rising 3rd-grader at Corpus Christi School in South Bend, has earned the Nicholas Maxim Award in the 2023 Zaner-Bloser National Handwriting Contest. This makes him a national champion in a competition that has drawn entries from about 2.5 million students since it began in 1991. Only two Nicholas Maxim Awards are given each year, one in cursive and one in manuscript writing. They are reserved for students with special needs and named in honor of a 5th-grader from Maine born without hands and lower arms. He won the 2011 contest by holding a pencil between his upper arms.

At around age 3, Clevenger was diagnosed with speech and developmental delays, specified a year later as Autism Spectrum Disorder. He has received four years of intensive A.B.A. (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy in preparation for being mainstreamed in school. About a year ago, an ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) diagnosis was added, prompting exploration of the most helpful medication.

“Corpus Christi has been an incredible school,” testified Andrew’s Dad, Adam Clevenger. “They make remarkably generous accommodations to ensure children like Andrew can be successful. Mrs. Wanecke was an incredible cheerleader this past year and helped us celebrate some of Andrew’s milestones in the classroom. She and Mrs. Tubbs, the Resource Teacher, worked very closely together to provide Andrew the time and communication he needed to understand some of the grammatical challenges he battles.” Teachers also provided feedback for Andrew’s medical team as they sought the right treatment. “Once we found it,” Adam continued, “Andrew’s scores and classroom performance notably improved.”

Andrew’s 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Wanecke, called him “a great kid who wants to do his best.” Although he disliked handwriting at the beginning of the year because it was so hard for him, he discovered that practice improved both the process and the end result. Mrs. Tubbs said, “Andrew takes great pride in making his work turn out exactly the way he wants it. The smile on his face when he does a great job is priceless.”

Adam and Ella Clevenger thoroughly explored school options before enrolling Andrew in Corpus Christi, which is not their parish. They looked at reviews on educational websites and talked with friends who were school parents. When they toured schools, others emphasized facilities and investment while Corpus Christi spoke about connections and students. “None of them felt as welcoming and wholesome as Corpus Christi.”

According to Principal Mattie Willerton, “Corpus Christi School’s mission is to develop our students spiritually, morally, intellectually, and socially, supported by the doctrine of the Catholic Church and the tradition of Catholic education. We live this mission when we, as a school community, commit ourselves to helping all students regardless of their academic abilities. School can be difficult for students with a disability, but watching these students grow is a blessing. We welcome all students of all abilities, and our desire for each of them is the same – to help them learn and grow in their faith and academics so that one day every single one can become a saint.”

Because Andrew dislikes having attention drawn to him, the school was very deliberate in honoring his achievement in small settings.

The award was well-timed, since it provided a cause for celebration after his beloved grandfather unexpectedly passed away. He and Andrew were buddies, snuggling to watch Andy Griffith reruns together every night. The Clevengers have been sharing a home with these grandparents since they returned from living in Maui. At home, Andrew is eager to help out. He enjoys vacuuming, doing dishes, and cleaning windows.

Besides caregiving at home, Andrew’s mom Ella, originally from Venezuela, works for the Sisters of the Holy Cross, where she loves learning about the elderly sisters’ travels and sacrifices. Four-year-old Alex rounds out the family; thrilled to become a big brother, Andrew has become his best friend.

Although many schools regard handwriting as outmoded, about half of the national Zaner-Bloser winners attend Catholic elementary schools. Mrs. Willerton says, “Corpus Christi has a decades-long history of teaching students the importance of good handwriting.” Every year, each class selects a classroom winner whose rendition of “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’” is submitted for the annual contest. Among those winners, four received state-level recognition this year.

Zaner-Bloser “develops curriculum resources to teach foundational literacy and math skills to students in prekindergarten through 6th grade. Our resources help teachers engage and empower students and inspire more ‘aha’ moments to harness the creative power of learning.” Each entry is judged on four keys to legibility: shape, size, spacing, and slant of the letters. Winners and their schools receive trophies, certificates, and monetary awards.