The Windsor Central School District celebrated Michelle Stoughton (’86) and Distinguished Educator Duane Harrison as the 2024 Knights of Distinction.

A graduate of 1986, Michelle Fountaine Stoughton began writing while attending Windsor Central High School.

“I took creative writing here. I still have the stories I wrote. I went back and read them and they were really bad and very doomsday. Over the years I dabbled in poetry and wrote a couple of children’s stories when my girls were little. I just felt like at one point I want to do something bigger. I really connected with the young adult genre,” said Stoughton.

She was in her forties when she released her first novel. Publishing as, “M.L. Stoughton”, her debut, Pleasantwick, won a gold medal in the 2017 Readers’ Favorite Awards and was chosen as the “Official Selection'' for Young Adult Fantasy in the New Apple Summer E-book Awards the same year.

“I didn’t know when I started pouring my heart into (writing) what would come of it. For a couple of years, I did try to get an agent and shop it around. You get good feedback but they only take one. I got to a point to where I decided I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to make my dream come true. I’m glad I did. My first book was well received,” said Stoughton.

Since then, she’s released two additional young adult novels and three historical romances under the name, “Michelle Lindsey”. Yetta’s Yearning, the first in her “Sunsets and Saddles” series remained in Amazon’s top #100 for American Historical Romance for five months.

Stoughton continues to write and enjoys serving as a guide to new authors. She has two manuscripts in the works for upcoming release.

Duane Harrison started teaching at Windsor in 1968 and served the district for 56 years as an educator Many years he showed up to work every day earning the Perfect Attendance award.

“It’s a great honor. I know the people on that wall. The biggest honor in life is to be well thought of by the people you respect. It’s as high an honor as possible to be on the wall with the people who did things while I was learning how to do things. It’s great company with which to be associated,” said Harrison.

Harrison made it a point to support Windsor students in and out of the classroom. He was a Computer Enrichment Advisor, participated in Pack the House, Haunted Happenings, Scholastic Awards Night, and could often be seen in the audience of middle school concerts.

He also led adult education classes including welding, small engine repair, basic auto mechanics, and practical electricity. He also was a leader in the Onaquaga Region Antique Automobile Car Club of America, which raised thousands of dollars in scholarship money for Windsor students.

“Schools should be for all the kids to prepare them for their best shot at life. I have spent all of my time trying to do that for everybody. I have found it to be great fun. It’s like not even work. The kids are great fun. They don’t all have the same learning style or motivation but our job is to help them maximize their skills so they have their best life,” said Harrison.

The district established the Knights of Distinction program to honor special individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Windsor Central School District, or graduates who have attained outstanding high school or lifetime achievements. The district will permanently honor these graduates at Windsor Central High School.