Norman Achin, a Latin teacher who is originally from Littlefork, was named a semi-finalists for the 2007 Horace Mann Educator Scholarship.

The scholarship is sponsored by the Horace Mann Educators Corp. and supports graduate-level studies in education.

Achin is teacher at Brentsville District High School in Nokesville, Va. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Germanna Community College in Locust Grove, Va.

Achin has a bachelor’s degree in English literature and history from Concordia University and a master’s in classical Greek and Latin studies from the University of Nebraska. He also attended the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece, as a graduate student. He is currently completing his second master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Mary Washington, which recently awarded him a $2,000 scholarship for his work.