“I was proud and honored and surprised all at the same time,” said Kevin Delaney, the Wayland High School Social Studies department head. Delaney won the twenty-third Mary Johnson Travelship Award, which gives him $7,500 to travel anywhere he choses.

Mary Johnson was a dedicated traveler and a Wayland High School graduate.  She was killed in the bombing of Pam Am Flight 103 to Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988.  In her memory, the Johnson family decided to create  the Travelship award, which honors a teacher each year by paying their expenses to travel.

According to the description, the award honors a Wayland Public School teacher who “loves children, respects them, and helps them grow beyond themselves.”

Robert Johnson, the father of Mary Johnson, said, “Once again, the Johnson family is unanimous in the selection of a truly talented educator. Kevin’s work with young scholars is recognized by many as exemplary.”

Delaney will travel with his two kids and wife. “We are all still trying to figure out how to spend the time,” he said.  “We have kind of narrowed out choices down to two travel ideas, one heading East, possible Ireland, possibly even the British isles in general; or head out to the west coast, and go out to maybe northern California and visit the national parks, kind of a road trip.” He also talked of traveling North to Vancouver, Canada.

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Delaney recalled, “When I first came to Wayland, I had taught at Westwood and Dover-Sherborn high schools, I distinctly remember something very unique about this place when I came in.  One of my colleagues described to me the Mary Johnson Travelship Award.”

He said, “It was really early and memorable point that I had figured out that Wayland was a different place to work, and I do believe that. In early October of my first year here, it [the travelship award] was a signal that something was different about this school.”

Principal Patrick Tutwiler told the Wayland Town Crier, “He [Delaney] is a pillar at Wayland High School, one of the people who arrives first each day, shortly before 6 a.m., and is among the last to leave.”

Mr. Delaney has been a history teacher at Wayland High School for 18 years, and he has been the department head for 10 years. Currently, Delaney is the Class of 2010 advisor, and the creator of the Wayland History Project website.