Penta students organize Patriot Day ceremony on Sept. 10

        Students and staff in Penta Career Center’s Public Safety-Criminal Justice and Public Safety-Firefighter programs conducted a Patriot Day Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 10.
        Held at 8:30 a.m., the ceremony included the National Anthem, student remarks, student-read poems, an honor guard flag tribute, and playing of taps.
        In addition, Walbridge VFW Post #9963 conducted a 21-gun salute, and the Perrysburg Township and Pemberville fire departments displayed the American flag between their ladder trucks. Guest speaker for the event was State Rep.  Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg). This is Penta’s 14th year of organizing a Patriot Day Ceremony for students and staff.
        Featured student participants included Meiah Smith (Northwood) from the Criminal Justice program, who served as the emcee and student speaker; Willow Parker (Swanton) from the Criminal Justice program, who sang the National Anthem; and Seth Sweet (Swanton) from the Firefighter program, who read a poem called “Old Glory.” Vata Alliman (Woodmore), from the Criminal Justice program, will performed taps.
        The Penta Public Safety Honor Guard participants included Blase Doyle (Anthony Wayne), Brock Noaker (Anthony Wayne), Chloe Kern (Eastwood), and Anastasia Juergens (Woodmore), all from the Criminal Justice program; and Kaitlyn Cully (Eastwood), Gabriel Hufham (Anthony Wayne), Tyler Swoap (Perrysburg), and Ally Heyman (Maumee), all from the Firefighter program. The Honor Guard was led by AJ Ybarra Jr. (Rossford) from the Criminal Justice program.
        All students taking part in the ceremony were members of SkillsUSA, a student leadership organization.
        The Black Swamp Bagpipes and Drums also performed, and Life Flight held a flyover at the ceremony.
        The event, which served as an observance of Sept. 11 for Penta students and staff, was aired live to all classrooms inside the school building thanks, to students in Penta’s Digital Video Production program.