Polaris Honors the Best of 2022

Delaney Condosta (center), Medical Professions, Olmsted Falls High School, and Ian Taylor (left), Engineering, Berea-Midpark High School, were named the Outstanding Senior Students of the Year for the Polaris Class of 2022. In addition, Connor White (right), a Construction Trades senior from Strongsville High School, was named Student Employee of the Year. Each was honored at the First Annual Outstanding Senior Recognition Dinner in April. All are high achievers who plan to make the most of their Polaris experience. As an added bonus, each was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Polaris Educational Foundation.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD WINNERS AND BEST OF LUCK!

DELANY CONDOSTA MEDICAL PROFESSIONS

OLMSTED FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

Delaney Condosta’s path to Polaris started in 2017 when she participated in Camp Discovery, Polaris’s summer camp program. She has been a model student ever since. She has maintained a 4.1 overall GPA while also participating in TWO Polaris programs – Medical Professions and Biomedical Science, a Polaris satellite program located at Olmsted Falls High School. Delaney is a member of the National Technical Honor Society and National Honor Society, was recognized as a Southwest Conference Scholar-Athlete on the bowling team, was named outstanding senior program student in both Medical Professions and Biomedical Science and is a Polaris Student Ambassador for both programs. She holds a number of industry credentials – she is a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA), is certified in CPR and has completed the OSHA 10 course. In addition to her achievements in the classroom, Delaney is very involved in many school and community activities. She volunteers with The Rescue Inn, works as a youth group leader at Harvest Christian Church in Elyria and is an active member of Key Club, Helping Hands and Glamour Girls. She continues to juggle a very busy schedule while also providing childcare for a local special needs child. Delaney’s Medical Professions instructor, Eva Simmons, sings her praises. “Delaney gives 100 percent every day. Her character and integrity are outstanding. She continuously looks for ways to improve herself and help others. Because of her maturity level, determination and hard work, she will reach her goals ahead of her peers.” Delaney has set a clear career path which builds on her Polaris experience. This fall, she will attend Cuyahoga Community College to pursue an Associate Degree in Nursing. She plans to further her education at a four-year school and will be on-track to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing in three years. Her immediate goal is to start her career as a nurse but plans to return to school to someday become a nurse practitioner.

IAN TAYLOR ENGINEERING

BEREA-MIDPARK HIGH SCHOOL

Ian Taylor has built an impressive resume during his four years in the Polaris Engineering satellite program located at Berea-Midpark High School. He maintained a 4.3 overall GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and Chinese National Honor Society and has been recognized as the outstanding senior program student in Engineering. Throughout his high school career, he has been recognized with countless awards and honors – he is an Eagle Scout, participated in the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, earned summa cum laude academic honors multiple times, placed third in the Rite Aid Cool Tech Challenge, holds varsity letters in cross country, track and wrestling and received Southwest Conference honorable mention recognition in cross country. His school and extracurricular activities are unmatched. In addition to athletics, he is in the Boy Scouts, a member of the Student Athletic Leadership Team, was on the sophomore and senior executive board, was active in Model UN, was senior captain of the cross country team, a member and leader of LINK Crew, participated in the U.S. Naval Academy continued on page 6 >

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD WINNERS AND

“Delaney gives 100 percent every day. Her character and integrity are outstanding. She continuously looks for ways to improve herself and help others.”

“Ian may be one of the finest young men that I have encountered in my 15 years as a teacher. He shows tremendous dedication and focus to achieve his goals.”

Summer Seminar in 2021, volunteered at the Eliza Jennings Nursing Home and supported many other community outreach initiatives. In his “free” time, Ian works summers as an umpire for the Berea Baseball and Suburban Umpire Associations. His Engineering instructor, Dr. Ryan McElyea, speaks highly of Ian as both a student and leader. “Ian may be one of the finest young men that I have encountered in my 15 years as a teacher. He shows tremendous dedication and focus to achieve his goals. He’s a hard worker; he has certainly shown a desire to have a thorough understanding of the material in the classroom. I am glad to see him reach his goal of attending a service academy.” Ian will continue his studies this fall at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, where he will study engineering and run track and cross country. After college, he plans to work in the maritime industry as a marine engineer where he will focus on clean energy technologies. Ultimately, he hopes to someday give back to the industry as a teacher.

CONNOR WHITE

CONSTRUCTION TRADES

STRONGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

When a student is placed with a local company, the employer evaluates the student’s skills and provides feedback on their progress in the workplace. There is no better indicator of success than to hear from employers that Polaris students are meeting and exceeding their expectations. Based on positive employer feedback and overall performance in the workplace and in the classroom, Connor White has been selected as the 2022 Polaris Student Employee of the Year. Connor currently works as an intern at Allied Electric Co., Inc. in Cleveland where he has accumulated nearly 800 hours of work experience which will be applied toward the 8,000 hours needed to become a certified electrician in the State of Ohio. At the age of 10, Connor knew exactly what he wanted to become after he helped his father and a friend wire a new addition to their home. Years later, he enrolled in Polaris and hasn’t looked back since. He has maintained 3.9 overall GPA and a 4.0 GPA in Construction Trades while continuing to give back as a Polaris Student Ambassador. He is a four-year recipient of the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award at Strongsville High School and is a member of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. White’s Construction Trades instructor, Jeff Busser, believes he has a bright future. “Connor is a talented, grounded, humble and goaloriented individual with a strong desire to build a career and life where there are no limits.” Connor has a full four-year ride from the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Independent Electrical Contractors Association. Upon graduation, Connor plans to continue working at Allied Electric Co. to pursue a career as an electrician.

“Connor is a talented, grounded, humble and goaloriented individual with a strong desire to build a career and life where there are no limits.”