At the end of the last school year, just in time for Honors Assembly, we had the opportunity to create two new awards, celebrating both a student and a teacher, the Jason M. Fishner Innovation in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Award.
Read on to learn more about the awards and our inaugural winners!
When you speak with Debbi Fishner GP ’32 about her son, Jason, you feel the love and pride she holds for a life lived with extraordinary purpose. Talking with Debbi, you do more than trace the events that shaped him—you glimpse a mind and heart that turned sparks of ideas into realities.
Jason’s life was defined by the joy of discovery and a “mind-boggling” intelligence. His accomplishments were vast: he was a National Collegiate Robot Rival Champion at Union College; he contributed to an astrophysics project at MIT that won the Nobel Prize; and he co-founded Fish3D with his wife, Renée Fishner P ’32 (Harley Enrollment Assistant), where they blended artistry with engineering to design and 3D-print jewelry.
Those who loved him describe Jason as a “protector,” a “visionary,” and a “gifted teacher.” He was the kind of person who could talk through complicated engineering problems with casual brilliance, yet was just as happy sitting on the floor building with a child. He had an intense joy in seeing others happy and a deep conviction that creativity and learning were meant to be shared.
This spirit was most evident at the Manchester Community Library in Vermont, where Jason became the animating force behind the Makers Club. Kids gravitated toward him because he made the impossible feel possible, teaching them that mistakes weren’t failures, but invitations to try again.
For Jason, STEAM was not just a set of subjects; it was a way of thinking that blended imagination with discipline and empathy with innovation. He believed today’s students need models of authentic creativity, intellectual courage, and the freedom to explore. He wanted them to know that their ideas matter—and that failure is simply another form of learning.
Above all, Jason adored his family. His wife, Renée, and their daughter, Lucy ’32, were the source of his deepest joy. Today, Debbi, her husband Allen, their son Kevin, and Renée carry his work forward with a single, guiding question: “What would Jason do?”
This question is the foundation of the Jason M. Fishner Innovation in STEAM Awards. Established in the spring of 2025, these two awards celebrate one Harley student and one Harley employee each year.
The awards were not created to honor the highest GPA or the most accolades, but to recognize the individuals who reflect Jason’s spirit:
- Those who dream boldly and tinker relentlessly.
- Those who find joy in the process of breaking things apart and putting them back together.
- Those who uplift others through kindness, curiosity, and creativity.
The Jason M. Fishner Innovation in STEAM Awards ensure that Jason’s legacy of compassion and visionary thinking lives on. They celebrate those who dare to ask questions, build boldly, and turn imagination into impact.
Because that is what Jason would do. And through these awards, he will continue to inspire every new dreamer who follows in his footsteps.
