Ashland County Community Academy students look to the future at school career fair

ASHLAND – The students at Ashland County Community Academy took a look at their potential futures Thursday morning.

The seventh through 12th graders spoke with representatives from vendors, including all branches of the military, who were invited to a career fair hosted by the Academy.

Susan Franklin, student success facilitator, said 16 vendors were invited.

"We had a pretty good turnout," she said. "Our whole purpose is to expose students to what's out there."

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Freshmen Steven Kimrey and Alexander McMillen made a beeline for what they already foresee as their destination the National Guard.

Kimrey's goal is to get help with college and "have fun, basically."

Everything Kimrey, from Ashland, heard from recruiters about a career with the National Guard, Air Force or Army, was exciting to him, he said.

"Everything caught my attention," he said, particularly "special ops," Special Operations conducted by the military.

While he is in the ninth grade, he has his eye on attending Michigan State.

ACCA offers extra academic help

McMillen of Loudonville is finding the extra academic help he needs at ACCA.

His grades have risen to A's and B's since attending the school.

"We are a public school," said Superintendent Shannon Lusk. "We use Learning Center curriculum," which is state standards-based.

"Half of my teachers have master's degrees" on a staff of 14, Lusk said, adding the school tries to keep class sizes at a maximum of 15.

"We also offer credit recovery online," she said. "We are offering College Credit Plus next year."

McMillen's interest in the National Guard is partly because it will pay for college, he said.

Kimrey and McMillen are enthusiastic about weapons training, one of the aspects of the National Guard that appeals to students, along with helping out in national disasters, said local recruiter Tyler Weaver.

"We have infantry weapons experts," and more than 130 different jobs, Weaver said.

The Ohio National Guard will pay 100% of tuition for any public Ohio college for four years in exchange for a six-year commitment of one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer.

In the meantime, McMillen might attend the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center, whose representatives, including Nancy Hall, attended the career fair to talk about the adult education program available with a $500 scholarship to any qualifying high school graduate and the career tech programs open to high school students.

April Gregory, an enrollment advisor for North Central State College, said high school students attending the fair were interested in scholarships and "how to get started." Many of them would be the first in their families to go to college.

The middle school students asked questions such as, "Do you have a dorm? Do you have sports?"

Mental health services for students

ACCA junior Allen Bacon from Loudonville manned a booth on mental health services for students, compiled by a group of juniors and seniors for a student leadership class led by Dean of Students Hannah Mast.

Senior Bailey Anderson from Ashland, who said she plans to attend North Central State next year for nursing, researched hotline numbers for the project.

Bacon, who is considering a career in cosmetology, said a flyer of information is being distributed to students.

Ryan Shepherd of Ashland, who graduated from ACCA last year, spent three years at the school and now serves as a paid educational aide while hoping to begin night classes at North Central.

"I wanted to teach kids," Shepherd said, and in pursuit of that goal, shadowed teachers while he was attending ACCA.

One of his roles is to assist students with online credit recovery.

Trevor Smail, a sophomore who came to ACCA as an eighth-grade student from Ashland Middle School, said ACCA "helped me relax without piling on work every 20 seconds."

Smail is planning to attend the Career Center in the graphic design program and already has a portfolio, Lusk said.

The school, with about 88 students, has "a good-sized graduating class," said Paula Berry, student services coordinator. Graduates this year will total "in the low 30s."

Brooke Taylor, student liaison, and Laney Allen, transitional age youth coordinator, are among the staff members offering counseling, college and career readiness, and other resources.

Students, parents or schools may decide ACCA "will be a good fit" for a student, Berry said.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Career fair: Ashland County Community Academy students prep for future