LIMA — People from several different local school districts were honored for extraordinary efforts Thursday as the Ohio School Boards Association held its Northwest Region Spring Conference at Apollo Career Center Thursday.
“We are standing up for public education and all of the good things that come from it,” said Judy May with the the OSBA. “There are a lot of things that make the news and they are not necessarily always good things. We like to highlight what is going on in our school districts.
The Northwest Region of OSBA covers 20 counties, including Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot. Local school districts were represented well at the conference. The DECA Big Spartans Little Spartans mentoring program was awarded as the outstanding high school program at the banquet. The program includes about 30 DECA students who reach out one-on-one each week with Lima North Middle School students to serve as positive role models.
“A lot of them have home life or behavioral problems, or problems with grades,” said Lima Senior senior Haley Vermillion, a mentor in the program. “A lot of the North kids do not have a lot of stability. I think the school district and the community will be the big benefactor.”
Vermillion said she has personally seen the effects of the program with the student she mentors.
“When I talk to her, she really starts applying herself and there is great improvement,” Vermillion said.
Other local students or staff recognized included:
• Elena Oliver, a middle school student at Bath. Oliver donated all of the money that would have been used for her birthday party to the Allen County Leadership Teddy Bear Fund at Lima Memorial Health System.
• Vantage Career Center’s United Way Day of Caring was recognized for raising $1,800 in cash to purchase groceries for the Salvation Army.
• Ruth Hefner, a volunteer at Bath Elementary School was recognized for her volunteerism with many local organizations both with and not involved with the school district.
• Mabel Mozelle, a volunteer at Bath Elementary, was recognized for volunteerism with the first-grade teachers at the school.
• Brendan Weidenhamer, a 10-year-old middle school student at Paulding, was recognized for his efforts helping get his family out of their burning home and helped remove a window air conditioner to get his grandmother out.
• Waynesfield-Goshen Local Schools’ Project Sole Hope was recognized for helping collect soles from shoes to help provide shoes for underprivileged children in Uganda.
• Riley Gough with the Apollo Multimedia Technology Program was recognized for his character and compassion that make him a leader among his peers.
Weidenhamer said he did not expect the recognition, but it was nice.
“I never thought it would amount to so much attention,” Weidenhamer said. “I am just glad that everyone is safe and we are getting ready to build our new house.”
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