Flashlight Award - 2022 Never Settle Awards

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Never Settle Award recipients & nominees (L – R) Stephen Watson, Dennis Campo, Kellie Thomas, Danielle Mathura-Millholen

In November of 2022, Whistlekick launched the first annual Never Settle Awards. We created these awards to be transparent and democratic in their nomination process and the recipient, where the recipients are voted on by their peers. The Flashlight Award is an award to put a “light” on those who would otherwise go unnoticed in their efforts, dedication, and passion for the arts. You can learn more about the 2023 recipient here. These are our two runners-up for the Flashlight Award.

DeRon Franklin

DeRon is who you want any prospective teacher to shadow and then model. An honorable, devoted, and kind man; this is what Martial Arts can make of someone. He is humble, and perhaps hidden, but he makes the world better one punch at a time, one class at a time, and one student at a time. The nominator for DeRon Franklin had the following to say: “DeRon consistently exhibits the highest form of the ideals of positivity, stick-to-it-iveness, engagement, and practice. His quiet actions in service of the community, the martial arts, and health, in general, may go overlooked but they do not exist without lasting impact.”

Peter Rivera

Peter Rivera is the welcoming face and voice that students experience every time they walk into class. He is always available, always encouraging, and takes time to make sure everyone feels important. One of his nominators wrote, “Peter exemplifies the tenets of Tae Kwon Do to their highest standards every day. I don’t think Peter’s patience ever runs out, he balances being both student and teacher flawlessly. Whatever the circumstance, his ability to look at things in a positive light is infectious to those around him.” Peter’s love for martial arts makes him one kids and adults will remember long after their Tae Kwon Do training. To put it mildly, Peter is helping create better humans in the small corner of the world he is in.

We would like to recognize and congratulate both DeRon and Peter for their amazing contributions to the arts that clearly have not gone unnoticed. Thank you both for your dedication to spreading the arts in a positive way and keep up the great work!

Interested in learning more about the Never Settle Awards? Check out these articles highlighting the other awards and recipients! Make sure to stay tuned for 2023 Never Settle Awards Nominations and voting.