Metro Stars

Stephen attended several camping trips at Miakonda and Pioneer Scout Camps and completed 24 Scout Merit badges. He served as the Den Chief for Pack 122 for four years, receiving the Den Chief Award.

For his Eagle project, Stephen organized a Bike Rodeo at Maumee Bay State Park for the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts of Oregon City Schools, sponsored by the Safe Kids Coalition of Greater Toledo. He obtained donations from several local businesses and family and friends. With these donations, he was able to give out safety helmets to those who needed them. All bikers went through bike and helmet checks, a bike safety obstacle course, and a safety bike ride led by the volunteer police officers.

A girl’s and boy’s bike was also given away to the participants. These bikes were donated by Rod Gyurke, of Oregon Insurance Agency and The Andersons. The girl’s bike winner, Delaney Gargac, donated her bike to a needy child at Christmas.

Stephen had 45 participants and 30 volunteers assisting him, including members of both Oregon and Northwood police departments and Jerusalem Township Fire Department.

Stephen had a total of 224 service hours in organizing this event.

Stephen is a recent honors graduate of Clay High School and is the son of Larry and Darla Bohland, of Oregon. He is now serving as an assistant scout leader for Troop 131 and will be attending The University of Toledo where he plans to obtain a dual degree in secondary education and science.

Penta Career Center outstanding students
High school seniors who completed career-training programs at Penta Career Center or through its satellite programs were recognized during special ceremonies on May 21 and May 27-29 at Penta.

During the ceremonies, 50 students were honored with the Penta Career Center Outstanding Student Award, presented to seniors based on performance and excellence in their career program. 
Among the honorees were:
Gregory Wetmore (Construction Masonry), Jessica Edwards (Floral Design/Greenhouse Production), Jackie Wetmore (Hair Design), Tyler Seibert (Landscape & Turfgrass Management), Northwood.

Scholarships
Heather Klatt and Eric Holmes received $750 Winslow Scholarships from First St. Johns Lutheran Church in Toledo. Both students, who are graduates of Clay High School, will attend The University of Toledo.

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Valerie Miller, of Northwood, has been named a Richter Scholar at Lake Forest College.

The program offers a unique research opportunity to a small group of outstanding students early in their college careers. During the summer between their first and second years, Richter Scholars are employed for 10 weeks as apprentice scholars working one-on-one with faculty members conducting independent research.

Miller is collaborating with Benjamin Goluboff, professor of English, on a research project titled, “Lilith in American Literature.”

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Amanda Mannon, of Oregon, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Glass City Federal Credit Union. The James F. Halleron Memorial Scholarship was established in 2001 to honor Halleron, a former GCFCU general manager and volunteer board member who passed away in December 2000.

Mannon attends The University of Toledo where she is pursuing a degree in nursing. She is on the university’s President’s List, and was recently asked to serve on the school’s Student Wellness and Awareness Team (SWAT), which presents to incoming students on wellness and health issues. She is also a member of UT’s varsity women’s cross country and track teams and is part of Athletes in Action.

Academic honors
The following metro-area students earned academic honors at their chosen colleges/universities:

Cedarville University: Brenna Christiansen, of Toledo. 

Davis College: LaKata Kling, of Toledo; Colleen Phillips, of Northwood.

Evangel University: Amy Bess, of Oregon.

Heidelberg University: Megan Tasnadi, of Toledo; Cody Miller, of Northwood; Cory Lofquist, of Oregon.

Talented twins
Shawn Mlynek received a bachelor of fine arts degree in vocal performance from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Keith Lockhardt, conductor of the Boston Pops, presented Shawn with his diploma.

Mlynek was recognized for studying in Germany for two summers. He will continue his vocal studies as a member of the Aspen Opera Theatre Centre in Aspen, Colo., in collaboration with The Aspen Music Festival before heading to the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, Fla., where he received a full scholarship with a stipend.

Jason Mlynek will be studying as the assistant to the director of the largest opera program in France this summer on the island of Belle Ile near southern France. A student at Carnegie Mellon University majoring in music composition and arts management, Jason has been employed writing music for educational modules at CMU as well as writing the background music for a short film

Both are 2005 graduates of Clay High School.

Inducted
Heather Brown and Stefanie Lamb, of Oregon, were recently honored for their academic excellence with induction into the Psi Beta National Honor Society at Owens Community College.

Other local inductees included Fatima Barakat, Jane Graybell, Stefanie Lamb and Catherine Slone, of Toledo. The Society’s mission is to encourage, stimulate and promote excellence in psychology, to advance the science of psychology and to nurture scholarship in all fields of study.

Graduates
Heidelberg University: John Nelson, of Curtice; James Blankenship, Cody Miller, of Northwood; Kelly Berger, Cory Lofquist, of Oregon.

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Eric J. Miller, of Oregon, graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics with a bachelor of science degree in aviation management with flight. He also received his commercial pilot’s and certified flight instructor licenses.

Band awards presented
The Clay High School Jazz, Concert and Symphonic Band performed at their Spring Concert May 7 in the high school auditorium under the direction of band director Brian Gyuras, and Megan O'Connor, assistant band director. 

In honor of it being O'Connor's last band concert, she was presented with a custom-made vase from Packer Creek Pottery, with flowers from the Clay Band Parents.  

Senior awards were given out to all 16 senior band members. The Louis Armstrong Jazz Award was inaugurated in 1974 with the cooperation of his widow, Lucille Armstrong.  An outright special award given to a high school jazz band member went to Sean McGee, who was also awarded a Clay Band Scholarship. 

The Semper Fidelis Award, the United States Marine Corps Youth Foundation award, in recognition of diligence, dedication, and musical excellence as a performing high school bandsman went to Stephen Bohland, who also received a Clay Band Parents scholarship and the  Michael Raczkowski Memorial Scholarship.

The John Philip Sousa Award, given to thousands of outstanding high school band members for superior musicianship, leadership, dependability and loyalty, went to Wes Herr. He also was awarded the Misty Fister and the Charles Neal scholarship.

Y.E.S. she can
Dayna LeAnn Ferguson, a junior at Clay High School, was selected to participate in the National Rifle Association’s Annual National Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.), a seven-day expenses-paid educational experience in Washington, D.C. for outstanding high school sophomores and juniors.

While in Washington, she will learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights while developing an understanding of government and the importance of active participation for citizens.

Ferguson was selected from numerous applicants from across the country. To earn selection, she completed an extensive application, which included submission of transcripts, an essay, a personal statement and three recommendations.