Ravenna – On the evening of Wednesday, May 22, 2019 about 120 family members, teachers and friends gathered to see some of Ravenna’s brightest rising stars be awarded scholarships from many local area organizations. This included three awards given by the Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce which was a surprise because they usually only give two; due to extra funding they were able to help a third student.
Dozens of area graduating seniors were dressed to impress for the acknowledgments they were excitedly waiting to receive which would help them financially with their future goals. Along with the Ravenna Chamber examples of other groups were Portage Community Bank, Bill and Eddye White Bowling, Kent State PCCAN, Jenkins Memorial Loan, American Legion as well as numerous others. The list in total included thirty different groups giving scholarships.
The event which very patriotically started off with the Pledge of Allegiance (just in time for this coming Memorial Day Weekend) which was followed by honors given to the valedictorian, salutatorian and top ten seniors. Award recipients glowed with pride as they received their scholarships for intellectual, athletic and civic-minded prowess. Many of the students were awarded multiple times with two and sometimes even three scholarships. It just goes to show it takes a village, and this village in particular (Ravenna) is supporting the education of its students, who will very likely go on to pay it forward in their future communities.
Of the students honored, three in particular were introduced by Ryann Kuchenbecker, Executive Director for the Chamber of Commerce. These three stood out from the crowd of applicants that applied for the scholarship because they were asked to write an essay on the Past, Present and Future of Ravenna. Given the city’s growth and prosperity in recent years this was a worthwhile topic for students to explore.
The additional funds come from 50/50 raffles held by the Chamber at local events, Mrs. Kuchenbecker said. The following are the recipients and excerpts selected from their winning essays.
Lauren Calhoun: Quoted Margaret J Wheatley, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about” These are the principles that our town Ravenna, Ohio was founded on in 1799.
Reilly Full: “Living in Ravenna I have never felt excluded from the community and have always had community members to help (them) through anything I need.”
Nick Rainone: “Ravenna a city that has a unique opportunity. A past that was successful, a present that is improving, and a future that has potential for great things in every part of daily life for its citizens.”
