BEDFORD – Two new members were inducted into the Bedford North Lawrence Alumni Wall of Fame on Saturday, January 20th.
Photos of the BNL Wall of Fame members are proudly displayed at the main entrance to BNL. To become a BNL Wall of Fame member, inductees must have been alumni for at least ten years. They must be considered outstanding in their careers or have contributed through volunteerism or their careers to better their community.
The Wall of Fame Award is sponsored by the BNL Renaissance program. Renaissance sponsor Michelle Hurst presented the award to the newest members, Clayton Anderson and Rita Kersh.
Clayton is a nationally recognized country music recording artist and 1999 graduate of BNL. Highlights of Clayton’s career include participating in the CMA awards show, performing at the Indianapolis 500, and most recently being invited to play at the 2023 Farm Aid music festival, which raises funds to support America’s farmers.
In addition, Clayton’s music has been featured in a national truck commercial for Ford and the Bedford Stellar Grant campaign. Clayton generously gives back to his community. He has put on benefit concerts for Becky’s Place and the Mary Kay Women’s Shelter Foundation and participated in multiple Riley Children’s Hospital fundraisers. Clayton is gracious with his time, always interested in talking with fans, and will be the first to tell anyone that he is from Bedford, IN, and proud to be a Star!
Rita is a 1979 graduate of BNL. She earned an associate’s degree from Vincennes University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University. Rita also achieved a master’s degree before joining the staff of the Addie McBryde Rehabilitation Center for the Blind in Jackson, Mississippi. At the center, she was an instructor, a deaf-blind specialist, and a program manager. Rita worked there 20.5
years in Techniques of Daily Living, Personal Management, and Communications.
She was a member of the Mississippi Council of the Blind, as a board member and officer in the local chapter. She regularly edits a quarterly magazine and a monthly newsletter for those who are blind or deaf-blind. Rita is now an author, publishing two books titled “Pathways to Independence- a Guide for People with Vision Loss” and “A Laugh a Day Keeps the Blues Away”. In November 2023, she was honored with the Patricia Price Award by the American Council of the Blind of Indiana.
