Student Stars: Oregon student earns perfect score on WordMasters Challenge

        Oregon City Schools gifted and talented students representing Jerusalem Elementary, Eisenhower Intermediate and Fassett Junior High School competed in the recent WordMasters Challenge—a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students annually.
        Competing in the Gold Division of the WordMasters Challenge, eighth-grader Jackson Shortridge achieved an outstanding individual score of a perfect 20 on the challenge.
        This is the third time in his experience with WordMasters Challenge that Shortridge has earned a perfect 20 on the rigorous challenge. For the 2022-2023 school year, he scored 59 out of 60, ranking in the top 10 students among approximately 3,000 eighth graders competing in the Gold Division nationwide.
        Gifted Intervention Specialist Leigh Ann Kesling coached the Fassett students in preparation for the challenge.
        The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words (considerably harder than grade level), and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of logical relationships.
        Working to solve the analogies helps students learn to think both analytically and metaphorically. Although most vocabulary enrichment and analogy-solving programs are designed for use by high school students, WordMasters Challenge materials have been specifically created for younger students in grades three through eight. They are well-suited for children who are motivated by the challenge of learning new words and enjoy the logical puzzles posed by analogies.
        The WordMasters Challenge program is administered by a company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Learn more at wordmasterschallenge.com.
 
Academic honors
        Berry College: Elizabeth Griffith, of Luckey.
        Bowling Green State University: Paige Pasztor, Kaylee Beavers, Sonia Murphy, Molly Brammer, Madison Dykema, Delany Ryan, Emily Young, Albert Ondrus, Sofia Lowe, Rylee Clark, Julia Russo, Mariann Bonnice, Emmalee Guy, Ricky Jurski, Brilee Shireman, Owen Thompson, Annabella Foster, Andrew Eye, Chloe Kadas, Chandler Jones, of Oregon;
        Dezarae Racz, Hunter Walters, Isaac Hoffer, Mitchell Hurley, Olivia Parr, Alissa Heyman, Lydia Long, Carys Thomas, Alexandra Harrison, Carson Snyder, Noah Smith, Makenna Flores, Benjamin Luoma, of Northwood;
        Harold Taylor, Benito Vasquez, Edward Staley, Melany Bolden, of Toledo; Anthony Jack Rubeis, Paige Baumgartner, Kayleigh Splichal, Mariah Niezgoda, of Curtice;
        Abbygaile Lawrence, Brendan Bosh, Isabella Sanchez, Emma Tucker, Kaylie Latez, Dylan Selhorst, Grace Claus, Rachel Youngless, Paige Travis, of Elmore;
        Liberty McCallum, Emily Dunlap, Morgan Perkins, Gina Goodman, Grant Goodman, Olivia Deverna, Amanda Partin, Adeline Linker, Aidan Barton, Samantha Siefke, Lillian Reimer, Ashley Greene, Austin Greene, Isabelle Greene, of Genoa;
        Cecilia Glauser, Olivia Paul, Darren Widmer, Hunter Smith, Carter Ash, Emma Stout, of Gibsonburg; Bailey Dusseau, Katelyn Frederick, of Graytown; Brielle Heft, of Lindsey; Jessica Stewart, Emily Cajka, Paige Woodruff, Alejandro Miranda, of Luckey;
        Brandon Hudson, Zachary Buhrow, Martin Repka, Riley Wolff, of Martin; Emily Arent, Olivia Thompson, Sara Dembowski, Clair Johns, of Millbury;
        Annastachia Britt, Gerald Craddock, Ella Dedes, Karissa Garza, Elayna Krupp, Andrew Swartzlander, Allie Large, Grace Johnson, Kaytlynn Sandwisch, Weston Schroeder, Madison Glaser, Shelby Leigh, Ryan Ridener, William Alford, Abigayle Bowyer, of Oak Harbor;
        Isabelle Bauer, Pamela Keppler, Justin Greenlese, Renee Appelhans, Katie Skotynsky, Nate McCauley-Benner, Anna Gudakunst, Kyra Contris, Kalee Moore, Wesley Romanko, Lily Phommalee, Zachary Kwiatkowski, Emmet Getz, Shelby Getz, Rory Farmer, of Pemberville;
        Willow Saje, Allysia Eicher, Peyton Konopka, Ally Goetz, Thomas Urbina, Makenzie Smith, Jack Walsh, Elizabeth Swartz, Katelynn Telles, Edwin Johnstone, Kayla Finch, Madison Zielinski, of Walbridge;
        Alexys Zellner, of Williston; Liam Crimmins, of Woodville.
        Cedarville University: Joseph Heise, of Northwood.
        Ohio Dominican University: Derek Bolander, of Oregon.
        Ohio Wesleyan University: Brooke Hoffman, Olivia Smith, of Oregon.
        Southern New Hampshire University: Janelle Davis, of Oregon; John Hansen, of Curtice; Zuri Pettaway, Dwayne Kuenn, of Toledo.
        Trine University: Tanner Johnston, of Northwood; Tyler Strasbourg, of Oregon; Megan Davis, Reagan Guthrie, Hannah Otto, of Genoa.
       
Scholarship
        Kaden Rife, of Oregon, received a Main Street Scholarship from Capital University, located in Bexley, Ohio.
        The Main Street Scholarship promises a minimum of $20,000 annually to all first time-in-college, full-time undergraduate students entering their first year of college. Starting for students entering in fall 2023, the Main Street Scholarship was expanded to a full-tuition and mandatory fees award for applicants who meet GPA and minimum household income requirement.
        "At Capital, we know too many students miss out on academic opportunities due to financial barriers, which then become barriers to academic success," said President Dave Kaufman. "Every student who meets the criteria qualifies for a minimum annual award of $20,000, enabling more students to graduate debt-free or near debt-free.
 
Graduates
        Berry College: Elizabeth Griffith, of Luckey.
        Trine University: Tanner Johnston, of Northwood; Samantha Silva, of Oregon; Reagan Guthrie, of Genoa.
 
Inducted
        • Olivia Paul, of Gibsonburg, was recently initiated into the Bowling Green State University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society.
        Students initiated into the Society must be sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class, demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars, and embrace the ODK ideals. Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year.
        • Zachary Buehler, of Pemberville, was inducted into the University of Kentucky chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society during the Spring 2023 semester.
        Celebrating academic excellence among first-year students, Alpha Lambda Delta’s chapter has been active on UK’s campus since 1940.
        • University of Toledo students Bryttany Grimes, of Oregon, and Carly Gumbert, of Walbridge, were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.
        Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter.
       
Scholar Day honors
        April Ludlow, of Woodville, was selected to give a formal presentation titled “Grief Associated with Pet Loss and Human Loss,” during the University of Mount Union’s recent Scholar Day.
        Scholar Day is traditionally a campus-wide, day-long event filled with presentations showcasing academic excellence and scholarly research conducted by Mount Union students.
        Learn more at mountunion.edu/scholar-day.
 
Buhro receives All-Scholastic Award
        Benton-Carroll-Salem School District student Hayley Buhro is this year’s recipient of the Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award for Ottawa County.
        The award was established in 1989 by Ohio’s educational service center superintendents to recognize outstanding student achievement. One senior from each of Ohio’s 88 counties is eligible to receive this annual honor.
        Buhro will be attending Miami University in the fall, where she will be majoring in psychology with a pre-med co-major. She will also be continuing her twirling career as one of seven Miami University Feature Twirlers.
 
Penta students earn honors
        Students from Penta Career Center’s Early Childhood Education, Culinary Arts, and its satellite Teaching Professions and Family & Consumer Science earned top awards at the Ohio Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) competition held April 29.
        The following students qualified for the 2023 FCCLA National Leadership Conference to be held in July in Denver, Colorado. Listed by name, home school, Penta program and contest entered are:
        • Emily Carey, of Northwood, Early Childhood Education, Professional Presentation contest, second place.
        • Hailey Carey, Northwood, Early Childhood Education, Professional Presentation contest, second place.
        • Madelyn DoMoe, Lake, Early Childhood Education, Promote & Publicize FCCLA contest, second place.
        • Krystiana Everly, Lake, Early Childhood Education, Promote & Publicize FCCLA contest, second place.
        • Nevaeh Wojnowski, Northwood, Early Childhood Education, Professional Presentation contest, second place.
        In addition, Penta students Madalyn Espinosa, Lake, Culinary Arts contest earned third place honors in the Sports & Nutrition contest, and Shelby Wishon, Northwood, Culinary Arts, earned silver honors in the Food Innovations contest at the competition.
       
Scholarship winners
        The 2023 Eastwood Alumni Association announced the winners of the association’s 2023 $500 scholarships. They include Mariah Hahn, Grace Kingery, Lydia Pinkelman, Ian Sander and Noah Smith.
 
Buderer honored
        Nathan Buderer, a senior swimmer from Oak Harbor High School, was selected to the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America, Inc. 2022-2023 All America Academic Team.
        According to the Association, approximately 2% of high school aquatic athletes receive this recognition. To qualify, seniors must excel in academics as well as their aquatic sport. 
        A complete list of recipients may be found at be.niscaonline.org/academics/AppsReceived.aspx.
 
R.C. Waters names
Top Class Dojo winners
        R.C. Waters Elementary, in Oak Harbor, participates in a school-wide initiative called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
        PBIS is a process for creating safer and more effective schools by allowing a safe and productive learning environment.
        The school has adopted a unified set of expectations for behavior, in place in classroom and non-classroom settings in the school They include – Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Ready.
        Student behavior is documented using a tool called ClassDojo, a tracking system that reinforces positive behaviors and quickly engages students in becoming accountable for their own choices. On a scheduled rotation, students are able to “shop” from the Dojo reward cart using the points they have earned for meeting the behavior expectations.
        Students recognized as R.C. Waters’ top Class Dojo winners for the month of April include:
        Kindergarten: Bryant Ballard, Raymond Brown, Oliver Haer, Savannah Neff, Baylor Tack, Sawyer Bahnsen, and David Gackstetter
        First grade: Kylie Portales, Hazel Peacock, Tate Adams, Blakely DeVito, Alhana Britt, Ben Miller and Ben Bugaj.
        Second grade: Harper McGee, Kash Myerholtz, Adalyn Slack, Hunter Hutchinson, Erica Terrell, Jordan Davis, Wyatt Wagonblott, Joey Pocs, Collin Blausey, Will Denslow and Kayleigh Camp.
        Third grade: Thaeden Watkins, Alex Pickering, Liam Bennett, Jaylah Mincer, Tanis Rohloff, Lyle Parker, Nolan Reinbolt, Leilyn Sturgill, Rhylin Mohan and Evan Oberlin.
 
OHHS celebrates
Military Signing Day
        Benton-Carroll-Salem School District recognized Daniel Tack III, who will be joining the Air National Guard after graduation at its recent Military Signing Day. Penta Student Rainy Hogg, who is enlisting in the U.S. Army, was unable to attend.
 
 
Fassett Junior  High eighth-grader Jackson Shortridge, shown with his parents Luke and Sara, achieved a perfect score of 20 while competing in the Gold Division of the recent WordMasters Challenge, a national vocabulary competition. (Submitted photo)