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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

POLARIS CAREER CENTER HONORS THE BEST OF THE CLASS OF 2024

May 1, 2024

Middleburg Heights, OH – Polaris Career Center honored its best and brightest students during the Third Annual Outstanding Senior Recognition Dinner last night. Ava Harkema, Welding Technology, Olmsted Falls High School, and Owen Dettmer, Engineering, Berea-Midpark High School, were named the Outstanding Senior Students of the Year for the Polaris Class of 2024. In addition, Alice Pham, a Construction Trades senior from Brooklyn Olmsted High School, was named Student Employee of the Year. All have high aspirations and plan to make the most of their Polaris experience. As top Polaris honorees, they were each awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Polaris Educational Foundation. The following are bios for the award-winning students:

Ava Harkema is the definition of the model Polaris student. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA in her program and has never missed a day of class. She was named an outstanding program student as a junior and senior. She is a member of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. She is a leader in her school and her program - she served as a Polaris student ambassador, was appointed to the Polaris principal’s advisory council, was a three-year president of the Olmsted Falls High School American Sign Language Club and was a three-year co-captain of the high school ultimate frisbee team. She has a strong desire to serve as she often works as a church usher and helps maintain the church facility. She holds several welding industry certifications, which she earned both at Polaris and at her current employer, Clark Reliance, located in Strongsville. She started at Clarke Reliance last summer as an intern and continued to work there during the school year as a student welder. She will transition to a welder position when she graduates this June. Ava’s Welding Technology instructor, Julio Martinez, sings her praises. “Ava is a great student. She is a go-getter and an easy-going kid. She is the ultimate team leader who will succeed at whatever she decides to do. I wish I had more students like her.” Ava has a clear vision for her future. She is a problem solver and has a strong desire to “fix things.” She plans to continue to hone her skills as a welder and hopes to someday own a welding and fabrication business.

Owen Dettmer has achieved many great milestones during his four years in the Polaris Engineering program at Berea-Midpark High School. He earned a 4.5 overall GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society and was recognized as the outstanding senior program student in Engineering. Throughout his high school career, he has been active in sports and other extracurricular activities – he played four years of football, was a four-year member of the swim team (one year as captain), threw and ran track for four years, was co-founder of The Prototyping & Engineering Design Club, was the LINK leader and commissioner, participated on the Academic Challenge Team, competed in the Baldwin-Wallace Coding Competition and was a member of the Titans Leadership Academy. During his free time, he worked as the head lifeguard for the Berea Recreation Department and also worked as a lifeguard at Lifeworks. His Polaris Engineering instructor, Dr. Ryan McElyea, will miss his presence in the classroom. “He has the tools to be successful. I’ve enjoyed being his teacher over the last four years. I will be sad to see him go, but I am excited to see what is in store for him.” This fall, Owen will attend the University of Cincinnati (UC) where he plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. He was accepted into the Accelerated Engineering Degree (ACCEND) program, which will allow him to earn his engineering degree and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 5 years. After graduating from UC, he plans to work as a mechanical engineer with the ultimate career goal of running his own engineering firm.

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, Alice Pham has been selected as the 2024 Polaris Student Employee of the Year. Alice currently works as an item picker at Lakeside Supply Company in Cleveland. In this role, she is responsible for shipping plumbing supplies to various plumbers and construction firms. Prior to Lakeside, she worked in the maintenance department at the Cleveland Clinic as a 2023 summer intern. Alice was also very active in her school community – she played soccer and basketball, ran track, was a member of student council, was in the theatre program, played in the band and sang in the choir. Her Polaris instructor, Jeff Busser, credits her for her commitment to going the extra mile. “Alice is a determined young lady who is focused on doing her best all the time. When she commits to completing a task, she gives 100% to making sure it’s done right. She’s an amazing student with a bright future.” Maureen Lehman, Polaris Director of Workforce Services adds, “Alice takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. She’s a force. She never says never and is committed to doing quality work.” Alice has enlisted in the U.S. Navy. She starts basic training in July and will focus on electronics. Her ultimate career goal is to earn an electrical engineering degree and own an engineering company.

Thirty-eight Polaris seniors enrolled in on-campus and satellite programs were also named outstanding students in their career-technical programs. This distinction is determined by academic achievement, citizenship, service and extra-curricular activities. Each student was awarded a $100 scholarship from the Polaris Educational Foundation. The students, their programs and high schools are linked below:

Polaris On-Campus Students

Polaris Satellite Students

For additional information, contact Doug Miller at dmiller@polaris.edu or call (440) 891-7609.

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