By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
As juniors, this year’s crop of seniors knew exactly what awaited them during their final year of schooling: senior projects.
Senior students from Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, Pioneer, and Wynford were required to complete independent research on a subject that was of special interest to 
them. For the second year in a row, top projects from each of the five schools were presented to education and business leaders Friday afternoon.
Autumn Swartz, a Bucyrus student enrolled at Pioneer Career and Technology Center, discussed writing, editing, designing, and binding a children’s book that she wrote. She said a teacher a Pioneer sent her book to a publisher and was informed there was a good chance that her book could be published. Swartz hopes to continue writing as a part-time job while working full-time in advertising.
Buckeye Central senior Cole Stacklin demonstrated how to become an Army officer.
“This project started a long time ago for me,” Stacklin said. “For me, the goal is West Point. I decided to go big or go home.”
Matt Novak, plant manager at Bucyrus GE and an USMA graduate, became Stacklin’s mentor and guided him through the process of applying to a service academy.
Stacklin was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the board of Senator Sherrod Brown and Congressman Jim Jordan for the nomination process.
“Throughout the interview process I learned a lot. These interviews forced me to be more professional,” Stacklin said. “I grew as a student, I grew as a leader, and most importantly, I grew as a person. This process enabled me to take on changes and make the best of them while leading others in the right direction as well.”
Stacklin was given an appointment to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School.
Wynford senior Ellie Richmond’s project not only involved designing and making her own jewelry but also operating her own business. Richmond had set a goal of making $100 in profits. During the project, she made 10 bracelets and 64 necklaces and sold them in a show she set up at home. Richmond estimated 100-200 people attended the show and she made $620.06 in profits.
“I thought it was really cool and really fun,” Richmond said. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be because I thought people were going to be like, ‘wow, she’s just some teenager that made some jewelry but I everyone loved everything and it was really successful. I was really proud of it.”
Richmond plans on attending college to major in interior design.
Colonel Crawford senior Clay Martin, after realizing that path he had always set for himself just wasn’t really for him, laid out how to become a defense contractor.
“I really wasn’t looking forward to this experience,” Martin admitted.
After striking out with experiences in dermatology, chiropractor, orthodontia, and family medicine, Martin finally stumbled upon mechanical engineering and defense contracting. He plans on attending the University of Akron’s well-respected engineering program.
Bucyrus senior Haley Fetters studied the effects technology had on high school students. Fetters surveyed 40 students in each grade in high school and examined the results. She found that freshmen students were the most dependent upon their cell phones while seniors and juniors were the least dependent among high school students. Her research also showed the effects of continued technology use has on developing bodies and social skills.
“If they’re dependent on it, when they become 
seniors if they did the survey and asked the freshmen of their class, maybe they would be even more dependent,” Fetters said about the current freshman class “I think that throughout the years it’s just going to keep continuing the more technology grows.”
Fetters had some advice for next year’s seniors. She suggested that they find a topic that really interests them.
“This has to do with what you’re going to do in life so I don’t want people to just pick something that they don’t know or that they think will be easy,” Fetters said. “Pick something they really want to do in life so they can see what it’s actually going to be like.”
Fetters plans on studying marketing at Cleveland State University in the fall.
Dave Williamson, Director of Crawford County Education and Economic Development Partnership, didn’t think that this year’s batch of student presenters represented better projects. Rather, he saw it as the students being more intentional about their projects and becoming more confident in their presentations.
“Not only that but the schools have a better sense in how to go about this. There’s a lot of poise and a lot of confidence in our students,” Williamson said. “I just have a lot of hope for the work our schools are doing to get our students ready for life.”
Williamson thought all five projects presented Friday afternoon were strong. “They’re learning valuable things in the process but I think the important things is they’re given a chance to express themselves in something they’re interested in.”