Kenston Schools bid a heartfelt farewell to six employees retiring this school year...
Congratulations, Retirees
Kenston Schools bid a heartfelt farewell to six employees retiring this school year. The group has collectively served the district for 169 years. Kenston is grateful for their dedication to students, parents, staff and community.
Retiring this year are Janet Austen, Kenston Intermediate School fitth-grade teacher; Renee Ebelender, bus driver; Ellen Larkin, Kenston High School intervention specialist; Daryl Major, Kenston High School educational aide; Terry Markoff, Kenston High School intervention specialist; and Sue Matsko, Kenston High School nutrition services kitchen manager.
Scholarship Recipients
Kenston’s Class of 2023 received over $100,000 in financial support for college from individuals, local and civic organizations.
Winners of local scholarships are:
Auburn Fire Department/John Reithoffer Memorial Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Samantha Bergansky; Bainbridge Area Food for Friends scholarships; Alexis Damiano, Olivia Damiano and Anne Marie Lemons; Bainbridge Civic Club scholarships, Samantha Bergansky, Emma Bobnar, Guy DiFini, Jacqueline Huckabee and Autumn Marshall; Bainbridge Civic Club/ Jack Batchelor Scholarship, Alyssa Svoboda; Bainbridge Civic Club/ROX Scholarship, Katelyn Brogan; Bainbridge Civic Club/Takacs Memorial Scholarship, Jack Jaeger; Bainbridge Police Department/James P. Jimison Memorial scholarships, Samantha Bergansky and Emma Bobnar; Bainbridge Women’s Club Scholarship, Laura Decroos; Bergansky Team Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Jayme O’Neill; Bomber Elite’s Gridiron Award of Character and Leadership – The Kenston Foundation, Luke Leygraaf; Bridging the Gap scholarships – The Kenston Foundation, Jacqueline Huckabee and Ciani McKinney; Chagrin Valley Jaycees Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Lauren Jaroch; Chagrin Valley Rotary scholarships, Samantha Bergansky, Alexis Damiano, Olivia Damiano, Laura Decroos and Lauren Jaroch; Chagrin Valley Women’s Club scholarships, Alexis Damiano, Olivia Damiano, Madeline Ramsey and Alyssa Svoboda; Dentistry at Winbury, Inc. Mark P. Vogley, DDS and Kelly L. McClintock, DDS Health Professional Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Sophia Cartellone; First National Bank Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Daniel Eibler II; Tim Fitzgerald Memorial Scholarship, Jack Morey; Forward Together Scholarships – The Kenston Foundation, Alexis Damiano, Olivia Damiano, Emme Gilbert, Ramsey Smith and Olivia Walker; Foundation for Geauga Park scholarships, Hanna Busby, Guy DiFini, Ella Pitz and Olivia Walker; Paul S. Gardiner Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Hannah Anderson; Golden Gate Masonic scholarships, Victor Como and Jack Jaeger; Tom E. Goodman Memorial scholarships – The Kenston Foundation, Carter Flynn and Emily Kratzert; Zinn Gorby Football Memorial Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Charlie Kress; Orbie and Cindy Hanks Memorial Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Maria Insana; Leora Mae Hrabak Memorial Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Paige Masson; Andrew Kenen Auditorium Technology Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Skylar Pagon; Kenston Academic Boosters Scholarship, Nathaniel Schaedler, Kenston Athletic Boosters scholarships, Madison Jones, Nate Linsz, Jayme O’Neill and Paige Spicuzza; Kenston Baseball Association Scholarships, Carter Flynn and Parker Munday; Kenston Community Education (KCE) scholarships, Samantha Bergansky, Drew McKenna and Tyler Schurr; Kenston Education Association Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Anne Costello; The Kenston Foundation Arts Scholarships, Jailyn Davidson and Mara DuBay; The Kenston Foundation Awards of Merit, Guy DiFini and Chase Parker; The Kenston Foundation First Generation College Scholarship, Alyssa Svoboda; The Kenston Foundation Math/Science scholarships, Molly Bochenek, Sam Koltas and Emma Parker; The Kenston High School Achievement Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Mariam Arshad; The Kathleen Pfouts Memorial Scholarships – The Kenston Foundation, Victor Como and Viktoriya Taran, Kenston PTO Scholarships – The Kenston Foundation, Benjamin Hamilton and Madeline Ramsey; Robert A. Lee, Ph.D. Go Green Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Hanna Busby, Mary Martha Scholarship, Cayla DiBernardo; Malcolm Scott McVay Memorial Scholarship, Jack Skufca; Musical Arts Association of Kenston (MAAK) scholarships, Devin Cinch, Cayla DiBernardo, Lucas Gulas, Ella Pitz, and Sara Strongosky; Ann Myers Memorial Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Michael Surtel; Edward L. Randall Memorial PEAK Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Paige Spicuzza; Jessica Reisinger Raubenolt “Let Me Be… The Hope” Memorial Scholarships, Anne Costello and Jailyn Davidson; The Fred Snook Memorial Scholarship, Eden Truax; Cella Sulc Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Creative Writing – The Kenston Foundation, Carter Kluesner; William T. and Helen Sullivan Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Lily Tatara; 23 for the Class of 2023 Scholarship, Robert Phillips; Cameron Toth Memorial Scholarship – The Kenston Foundation, Neil Wachter; The True Grit Scholarships – The Kenston Foundation, Ella Pitz and Matthew Strong; UH Geauga Medical Center Auxillary scholarships, Samantha Bergansky and Sophia Cartellone.
National Merit Ferro Scholarship
Laura Decroos is one of 840 distinguished high school seniors nationwide who has won a corporate-sponsored merit scholarship, financed by 170 corporation, company foundation or business organizations. Laura was awarded the Ferro Foundation Scholarship. She plans to attend Miami University of Ohio and study architecture in the fall.
Rotary Senior
Guy DiFini was selected Kenston’s Chagrin Valley Rotary Club Student of the Month. He maintains a 4.469 grade point average. He has earned AP Scholar with Distinction honors for scoring a four or above on all eight Advanced Placement (AP) exams taken thus far. He has also been awarded 11 course awards for his academic performance. He has earned the President’s Award for Educational Excellence and will graduate with Community Service honors. Guy has also been recognized with a Cleveland Technical Societies Council Award for his acumen in STEM.
As a student athlete, he has been a varsity member of the cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams since freshman year and team captain since junior year. He competed at the cross country state tournament in his sophomore and senior years. He received the coach’s award as a junior for his exceptional leadership. He has also volunteered as a youth cross country camp, a youth track night volunteer and many local 5k events.
In addition to his participation in sports, Guy is an active participant in Math Club and the Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society. As a senior, he participated in Science Olympiad, placing at regionals and qualified for the state tournament.
Outside of school, Guy has volunteered for Empower Sports to help people with disabilities get active and live healthier lives through sports.
Guy plans to study chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the son of Lisa and Gaetano DiFini.
Stachiw Wins Law Day Contest
Junior Alayna Stachiw was recognized as the first place winner of the Geauga Bar Association Law Day essay contest. This year’s national Law Day theme was “The Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.” The Law Day programs are designed to help people understand how the law keeps us free and how our legal system strives to achieve justice.
State Rep. Demetriou Visits
Kenston hosted Ohio Rep. Steve Demetriou on May 1, representing the 35th District, including parts of Geauga, Portage and Summit counties. Representative Demetriou visited with students, staff, administrators and board President Jennifer Troutman, J.D. He had the chance to see several high school classes and the Fine Arts Showcase. In addition, he met and talked to senior class officers about their plans for the future, leadership and the importance of integrity.
Science Olympiad
The C-division Science Olympiad team placed ninth out of 127 teams in Ohio on April 29 at the state competition. The entire team did a wonderful job, but special congratulations to the following students who placed in individual events. Sam Koltas and Ben Fink placed third in Scrambler. Fourth-place honors were earned by Ben Fink and Jack Beclay in Flight and Sam Koltas and Mason Miller in It’s About Time. Cooper Timmons and Louis Polien placed fifth in Robot Tour. In WiFi Lab, Cooper Timmons and Gavin Watson ranked sixth.
The B-division Science Olympiad team placed 14th out of 92 Ohio teams. Ryan Menary and Charolotte Syslo placed second in Can’t Judge a Powder. Ryan Menary and Maria Volokh earned third place honors in the Flight category and Ryan Menary and Charlotte Syslo in Crime Busters. Quinn Zwinggi and Amaya Turner placed fourth in Home Horticulture.
KMS Mock Trial
Congratulations to the first Kenston Middle School Mock Trial team that competed at the Ohio Supreme Court in Columbus on April 28 against Seton Catholic School from Hudson and Woodward Park Middle School from Columbus. Three out of the four judges awarded Kenston Middle School the win. Brooklyn Alexander received the outstanding witness award in both trials, while Grace Voudris received the outstanding attorney award in her trial. Reagan Carnes, Pearl Johnson and Ben Yamsek did a fantastic job as attorneys. In addition, Maren Hill and Maria Shindika gave stunning performances as witnesses.
