The William D. Reynolds Award - 2018: Peter Tierney ’67

2018: Peter Tierney ’67

For his dedication to improving the lives of young people, Peter Tierney ’67 is presented with this award.

After graduating from Notre Dame, Tierney joined the Peace Corps. Those two institutions set the trajectory of his life, which has focused on service and education. While serving in St. Lucia, he started the Teacher Training Centre, which helped revamp the country’s educational system. He went on to teach in residential, comprehensive, and special education settings and earned a master’s degree in alternative education from Goddard College.

After moving to Colorado, Tierney spent 15 years running a nationally recognized youth employment and training program and started the state’s first Youth Conservation Corps, which now has more than 1,500 members serving across the state.

In 1994, Tierney founded Long View High School, a public alternative school. For 22 years, he ran and taught in this small, safe, rigorous learning community with a functional-family atmosphere for students who previously had not experienced the success they desired. He is most proud of his continuing role at Long View.

Tierney and his wife, Carol, have been happily married for 45 years, with two successful grown children and four granddaughters.

“I am honored and thankful to receive this award; that it comes from my Notre Dame family makes it especially significant to me. All my life, I’ve just been a guy doing a job, enjoying my work helping teenagers overcome obstacles and achieve their goals; to get recognized for doing what I’ve loved is truly wonderful.”