APPLETON — Appleton East High School has named U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen as the 2010 recipient of its Patriot Award.

"It’s great to be honored and also an opportunity to reflect on where I’m from," Kagen said. "It’s a very humbling experience. It’s always nice to think back but rarely do you have an opportunity to go back, but then I’ve never forgotten where I’ve come from."

"Not every high school has an alumnus currently working in the House of Representatives, so it’s pretty exciting," said Elissa Hoffman, East science teacher who coordinates the annual Patriot recognition.

"We hope that Congressman Kagen’s experiences in medicine and business will be interesting and educational for our students, and we hope he’ll help us inspire them to set high goals for themselves."

Hoffman said Kagen is scheduled to visit East on March 8.

"We are hoping to have him talk to classes about his own academic days and how he has set goals for himself, about his experiences in medicine and business," she said.

Kagen, 60, a member of East’s first graduating class in 1968, has fond memories of his teens, adding he is grateful for Appleton’s investment in education and well as the "excellent teachers" he had in school.

"I had a great time in high school and I tried everything: football, wrestling, track, volleyball and cross country," he said. "My favorite subjects were science and math."

Kagen said this award is special because he loves learning.

"I believe your education never really ends and I’m still learning, now more than ever," he said.

Kagen earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1972 and a medical degree, also at UW-Madison, in 1976.

He is board certified in internal medicine, asthma/ allergy/immunology, and diagnostic laboratory immunology. He founded the Kagen Allergy Clinics in the Fox Valley.

Kagen was elected to Congress as the representative for the 8th District in 2006. He was re-elected in 2008, making him the second Democrat to win re-election in the district in the last 40 years. He and his wife Gayle have raised four children in Appleton.