By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
It’s never too soon for high school seniors to start planning for their futures. The Crawford: 20/20 Vision and the six county school districts are hoping to get a foot in the door for the futures of the class of 2014.
Crawford: 20/20 Vision hosted Senior Day at the Crawford County fairgrounds Tuesday, where high school seniors from Buckeye Central, Bucyrus, Colonel Crawford, Crestline, Galion and Wynford were treated to motivational speakers and information on the opportunities available in Crawford County.
Steve Mohr, superintendent at Wynford Local Schools and chairman of the 20/20 Vision’s Education and Workforce Development Action Team, was the master of ceremony for the event. He discussed job and career availability within various sectors of Crawford County, including manufacturing, agriculture, insurance and finance, and education.
“If you want a job immediately after graduating and you can pass a drug test, you can get a job in manufacturing,” Mohr told the students assembled in the show arena at the fairgrounds.
Steve Crall, who was representing IB Tech at the event, hoped the seniors benefitted from Senior Day. “My hope is it educated them on opportunities available,” said Crall. He added that if they knew the opportunities were there, they just might choose to stay after graduation or return after college.
Victoria VanBuren, who studies Medical Technology at Pioneer, thought Senior Day was beneficial in more than one way. “I think it’s good,” she said about Senior Day. “I like the opportunity to get together (with other students).”
VanBuren said she will definitely go away for college but that doesn’t mean she will never come back to Crawford County. She admitted that at some point she would come back because it was where she was raised and where her family resides.
Megan Griffith is going through the Teaching Professions program at Pioneer and, though she is enjoying interacting with kids in classroom settings, she doesn’t know yet if she wants to be a teacher. That’s why she liked hearing and seeing the different options available to her.
Dr. Sarah Metzger, a Crestline High School graduate and currently a doctor of family medicine with Avita Health Systems, knows a thing or two about leaving the area to pursue an education. But she also knows about the benefits of returning to the area where she grew up.
“If you want to stay in the county, it’s not always easy,” said Metzger. “It’s a lot of work.”
Metzger didn’t want her message to seem insurmountable, however. “There’s a definite need for the people who are committed to the county,” said Metzger. She told the seniors, some who cheered for her Crestline roots and others who cheered for her husband who teaches at Buckeye Central, we all want to make the place we live a better place and there’s no better person to do that than you.
Other motivational speakers of the day included The Ohio State University’s head wrestling coach Tom Ryan, Wynford High School English teacher Matt O’Brien, and a Tiffin University graduate who works at Ohio Mutual Insurance Group. Local employers were also on hand to share expertise and advice.
A photo gallery of the event can be found on the Photo page.