Mantua – Recently, Senator Jerry Cirino, Ohio’s 18th District State Senator visited Crestwood’s 7-12 campus to learn first-hand from students about some of the programs offered there. Senator Cirino represents school districts including Crestwood and James A. Garfield in Portage County, as well as districts in Lake and Geauga Counties. The Senator’s visit included student-led presentations with the CHS Leadership, Engineering, and Academy classes. When asked what prompted the visit, Cirino affably commented, “I was invited.” He noted taking advantage of an invitation from Superintendant David Toth to see some key programs firsthand.
The first stop on the CHS tour was to visit with students in the Leadership Class, which focuses on classroom skills like practices and habits of effective leaders and hands-on skills like resume development to community-building activities. CHS Senior Emily, shared the group’s community projects, including Village Clean Up day, Trunk or Treat, and the Father-Daugher dance that enabled the group to raise $1,000 to educate students and the community onthe dangers of distracted driving. Sophomore Kayla and junior, Gabriella, shared details on the group’s freshmen mentoring program and the leadership practices they aim to foster with fellow students. Senior Elai spoke of the group’s desire to positively affect the culture of the school.
The Senator applauded the group’s efforts, calling them “impressive” for their engagement in their school and local community. Cirino noted, “Programs like this, where you learn how to adapt when life throws a curveball can help prepare you for your futures beyond high school, and help you become productive members of society.”
Cirino was asked how he became a Senator, and he shared that his political career began after retirement as the CEO of several medical device companies. Frustrated by the poor leadership he saw while watching the news, he felt motivated to do something about it. Prior to being elected to Senate, Cirino served as a Lake County Commissioner. As someone coming to politics without aspirations to make a career of it, he noted he’s “free to do what I think is best.”
He noted that when his young grandson learned of his political plans at 70 years old, his grandson advised him to “hurry up and get stuff done,” and that’s what the local lawmaker plans to do. In his short time in office, he has worked to implement the Second Chance Voucher program through the State’s Higher Education Committee and helped implement Ohio’s new Fair School Funding bill. For Cirino, time is of the essence; he explained his choice to spend his time working to solve problems, not working to get re-elected.
He encouraged Crestwood’s Leadership students to follow what they think is right, noting the shortage of good leaders in today’s day and age. “We need young people with new ideas,” he explained. “We need problem-solvers.” He encouraged the group to use the training they receive here to make an impact in their local community, where he noted, “participation, especially by young people, is crucial.”
The next stop was with the Engineering program, where sophomore Kaitlin and freshman Hannah explained the activities and projects featured in the Introduction to Engineering class, designed to help students to build on basic engineering skills. Through the use of specific project parameters and limitations, students are empowered to take an idea from a sketch to a prototype, like designing a protective, thermal venting case for earpods. By taking a project from idea to completed product, they learned that there’s always room for improvement. Senior Ethan, who hopes to pursue cyber security and junior Emily, who plans to study astronautical engineering, shared about their experience in Principals of Engineering. Kenny, a junior who plans to pursue computer software engineering, and Jimmy, a senior who will study aerospace engineering next year, shared what they learned moving from designing paper airplanes, to glider creation, to hands-on experience with a flight simulator in the Aerospace Engineering class.
Cirino praised their efforts, sharing, “If you look at your competition for jobs in the future, early programs and experiences like these will make you stand out above other candidates.” Cirino noted several aerospace machinery companies in Lake County currently have CNC aeronautic component machining jobs available — opportunities available that don’t require college degrees. He noted that some also provide opportunities to earn advanced skills while earning a living. As Ohio is 13th in the country for college debt default, Cirino encouraged students to keep their options open to other paths to careers.
The final stop of the visit was to the CHS’s aquaponics greenhouse facility, where arugula, mint, and lettuce starts sprouted, fueled by nutrients from tilapia and crayfish. CHS Academy students tend the plants and fish, and junior Bianca shared an overview on the two-part Academy program. She noted that the first class combines a historical perspective of Ohio settlers from the early 1700s with English, and biology, while the second class focuses on conservation and ecology. She shared that the “unique perspective on how each class intertwines” is a valuable learning opportunity.
As was the Senator’s, according to Superintendent Toth. “It was an excellent learning experience for our students,” remarked. “The visit gave students and teachers valuable time to highlight what they’re learning and to discuss future opportunities their local lawmaker.”
