Friday, November 01, 2002 - LITTLETON - He sits alone in the commons, sipping coffee from a mug, perusing a magazine. Blue oxford, gold tie and gray hair say silently that he's been somewhere.

They sit in clumps, feet propped on chairs, many hairdos jetting toward the ceiling. The sparkle in their eyes says there's somewhere to go.

Terry Noble Fiske came to Options alternative high school for the same reasons these teens did. A restless heart, and the desire to be shown that he can make a difference.

Fiske will be honored today by the Colorado Association of Partners in Education, or CAPE, as the state's top public-school volunteer.

For four years, the 68-year-old retired attorney has lent his expertise to mock trials, taught students more about the stock market than many adults know, and tutored, mentored and somehow became a confidant for teenagers facing issues that make his jaw drop.

One day he will teach an impromptu class on the Civil War, and the next he will help a teacher draw parallels between the Salem witch trials and modern-day society.

He is always surprising the staff, finding a native of Africa for Diversity Day, attending school poetry readings and covertly helping students to pay for field trips - all because he is on campus enough to know the nooks and crannies of need at this unusual school.

Fiske will be celebrated at the association's 24th annual luncheon at the Brown Palace Hotel. CAPE also will recognize an individual, group and business from throughout the state.

From employees of Lockheed Martin Astronautics to a group of World War II veterans in Thornton to Littleton's Robert Turley, who is creating an English-as-a-second- language soccer league, the event will give credit to dozens of inspirational ideas and thousands of volunteer hours that have enhanced learning statewide.

"The whole school thinks Terry's awesome," said Options senior David Arnold, 18. "He's so patient and helpful. ... He helped me when I was an attorney in our mock trial. You can tell he enjoys what he does. I hope he comes to my graduation."

He likely will.

Options' 170 students hail from a variety of circumstances: broken laws, broken families, horrid grades, academically gifted, babies on board. Classes rarely exceed 15 students, everyone including the principal is on a first-name basis, and students are drilled in the basics but also take classes such as "personal survival" that help them learn from the past and live fully in the present.

"I started to realize late in my career that education is the basis for solving the world's problems," said Fiske, a former Marine Corps officer, a father of three and grandfather of 10. "I didn't want to be a teacher's aide or pass out pencils. I wanted face-to-face contact with at-risk kids."

And it has exhilarated him.

He loves the spontaneity of teachers grabbing him in the hall to talk to a particular student or add perspective to a novel being studied.

"It's amazing the emotional baggage these kids carry," Fiske said. "But I keep forgetting why they are here because they are so delightful."

Students have just finished a 10-day stock market exercise that saw six teams buy and sell with daily deadlines and a make-believe $100,000. The $100 prize for the smartest investing is real and comes from Fiske's pocket.

"I think the biggest message he sends," said Kelly Kates, the school's social worker, "is that here's someone not related to them, with no connection to our school, who finds them valuable enough to spend time with. A lot of kids have never known that."

His grandchildren, Fiske said, motivate him to understand this generation and also to perform community service. But he feels like the winner, and not just because of today's honor.