Perry County Educator Receives Sagamore of the Wabash

A beloved educator in Perry County has received one of the state’s highest honors. Ray Niehaus, a student entrepreneur mentor at Perry Center Jr./Sr. High School, this week received the Sagamore of the Wabash, which is given to “those who have rendered a distinguished service to the state or to the governor.”

Niehaus began his career in education in 2014 as a Project Lead The Way teacher at Pike Central High School in Pike County, coming from the defense and electronics industry. He was presented with the award during a ceremony at Perry Central.

Among his students’ accomplishments is winning an MIT humanitarian contest for designing and constructing a disaster relief shelter. His students had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama as a result.

“The students are the most important part,” said Niehaus. “To see them have an opportunity to do things they never have before is just fantastic and I just can’t stress enough it’s students that really drive what I do. As long as there are students out there, I’ll continue doing it.”

Niehaus’ students and colleagues thanked him in a video shown during the ceremony: