Central High School math teacher Rebecca Darby has won the nation's highest honor, the 2007 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science. Darby was one of 99 teachers nationwide to receive the award and was the only math winner from Alabama. As a recipient of the award, Darby received $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, the federal agency that administers the program. Darby also receives a trip for two to Washington, D.C., for a week of celebratory events and professional development activities. All of the recipients of the award were recommended for the award by a panel of leading mathematicians, scientists and educators. In a citation from President Bush, Darby is praised for "embodying excellence in teaching, for devotion to the learning needs of the students and for upholding the high standards that exemplify American education at its finest."