Reflecting on an incredible day, we want to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who joined us Friday, September 18th, as we celebrated the Goddard Hall of Fame Class of 2026!
From touring school hallways filled with decades of memories to taking one final photo together under the lights at District Stadium, the day was a powerful reminder that the story of Goddard Public Schools lives through the people who have walked these halls, served our schools, and carried their experiences into the world.
We were honored to welcome home and celebrate five remarkable members of the #265Family:
Dr. Michael Vivion, GHS Class of 1962, was an educator, scholar, innovator, and world traveler whose life took him far beyond Goddard while never diminishing the importance of the relationships and experiences that shaped him here. Though Mike passed away just days before the ceremony, his family, friends, stories, and spirit were deeply present throughout the celebration.
Coach Dan Buchanan dedicated 26 years to education and coaching, impacting generations of students and student-athletes through his leadership, relationships, and commitment to helping young people grow both on and off the court.
Dr. Mary Cohen, GHS Class of 1986, built an internationally recognized career as a music educator, researcher, author, and advocate for the transformative power of music, carrying lessons first nurtured in Goddard into classrooms and communities around the world.
Dr. Christopher Warren, GHS Class of 1992, built a distinguished career of service through the United States Air Force, the FBI, and his work preserving and sharing our nation's history, demonstrating how a foundation built in Goddard can lead to a lifetime of service far beyond our community.
Jerry Longabaugh devoted more than 25 years to serving Goddard Public Schools as an educator and administrator, including his leadership as principal of Eisenhower Middle School, and continues his service today as a member of the Goddard Board of Education.
Stories like these are at the heart of the Goddard Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was created to celebrate, honor, and recognize Goddard Public Schools alumni, staff, and friends whose service, success, and achievements have made a difference. By preserving and sharing their stories, we honor the people who helped build the legacy of excellence that defines Goddard Public Schools while helping today's students see the possibilities that may lie ahead in their own lives.
In the coming weeks, we will share a special six-minute video tribute honoring the positive impact each inductee has made in the world, along with their complete Hall of Fame biography, on the Goddard Education Foundation Facebook page. We hope these stories do more than preserve our history. We hope they inspire the next generation of Goddard students and educators to recognize that the people we honor today once sat in classrooms, walked these same hallways, learned from Goddard educators, and began writing stories of their own.
Their stories are now forever woven into the legacy of Goddard Public Schools, and the students walking our hallways today are already beginning to write the next chapters. Finally, stories do not preserve themselves, people do. A massive THANK YOU to the volunteers, Goddard Education Foundation Board of Trustees, school administrators, Hall of Fame Planning Committee, inductee families, and more than 50 EHS and GHS students who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this celebration possible.
To our 2026 inductees, their families, and the entire #265Family, thank you for helping us honor our past, celebrate the people who shaped our schools, and inspire the generations who will carry that legacy forward.
There truly is no place like home.