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Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen encouraged honored guests at The Daily Times' 23rd Annual Academic Letters Awards banquet Thursday to serve their fellow man and leave the world a better place.

He told the students that life will not always be easy and oftentimes "the biggest rewards come right after a rocky time."

They will have to "have the ability to greet change and the bends in the road." These difficult times should be used for growth and should not be avoided, Bredesen said at the event held at Heritage High School.

Students in all four grades of high school were honored with academic letters in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies.

The high schools -- Alcoa, Greenback, Heritage, Maryville and William Blount -- are all in The Daily Times circulation area.

A total of 341 academic letters were given out to 227 students. Daily Times Editor Dean Stone announced the names of all the recipients.

Six students were given letters in all four areas of study:

— Clark Aaron Herd, a sophomore at Heritage High School

— Kristen Nicole Waggoner, a sophomore at William Blount High School

— Bradi Noel Millsaps, a junior at William Blount High School

— Travis Lee Wilson, a junior at William Blount High School

— Matthew Allen Campbell, a senior at William Blount High School

— Harvey Pendell Meyers, a senior at Maryville High School.

In addition to honoring the students, four Blount Countians were inducted in The Daily Times Alumni Wall of Fame:

— Joe S. Ingram, an Alcoa High School graduate, who is an organizer of Foothills Bank and Trust

— Don Talbott, a graduate of Heritage High School, who is a director of the Blount County Chamber of Commerce

— B. Kenneth Cornett, a Maryville High School graduate, who is president of the Blount County Genealogical and Historical Society

— Bill Dunlap, a graduate of Friendsville High School, who is superintendent of the Blount County Highway Department.

Alumni Wall of Fame inductees are honored for their service to the community, professional accomplishments and leadership.

Bredesen said the awards banquet is an innovative concept and he hopes other communities will adopt the tradition.

"Academic achievement deserves its place in the sun," he said.

The governor told students they had to "seize moments and milestones" like the awards banquet.

Honored students have been meeting their family's expectations for years and, as they prepare for college, they will have to learn to set aside these expectations, Bredesen said.

"When you think of things you want in the future, think of what a well-spent life is. Only you can answer that question."

Most importantly, students need to make a "special obligation to give back to their community, state, and nation," Bredesen said.

He stressed the importance of leaving the world a better place. Leaning on others is a "natural and proper thing to do" in times of crisis, but the important thing is to "pay back what you borrow with interest." This might not be "a conventional measure of success," but the students will make things better by having touched them.

"You all have great and bright futures in front of you. I look forward to the great things you'll accomplish," Bredesen said.