Education roundup: Three from Stark are Akron Children’s Hospital research scholars

The Repository
·4 min read

Stark Countians are Akron Children’s summer research scholars

AKRON − Three Stark County college students were selected to participate in Akron Children’s Hospital’s Summer Pediatric Research Scholars (SPRS) program. They are:

  • Kiara Grow of North Canton, Heidelberg University

  • Natalie Schmitt of Canton, Taylor University

  • Hunter Swartz of Massillon, Malone College

The students – sophomores or juniors contemplating careers in healthcare – will conduct clinical research projects and be mentored by physicians, surgeons, nurses, therapists and other experienced hospital investigators. These mentors design research projects that focus on enhancing patient safety or quality of care; evaluating effectiveness of new treatments, technologies, or methods; or improving the healthcare experience for patients and families.

SPRS students also attend weekly classes on biomedical research and shadow Akron Children’s clinical teams in several pediatric medical disciplines. The 10-week program begins in June and culminates in August, when the students present their research study results to members of Akron Children’s medical staff, researchers, academic partners, family members and peers.

Minerva High School senior gets scholarship

The BBB Charitable & Educational Fund, Inc. serving the Canton region and greater West Virginia, recently awarded third place and a $1,000 scholarship to Minerva High School senior Bethany Shuman in the annual BBB Life Lessons Essay Contest.

BBB Life Lessons is a theme-based essay contest that challenges students to reflect on living a life with integrity and ethics. This year’s essay theme was honesty. There is no minimum GPA requirement to apply, and the funds can be used toward any type of post-high school education including college, universities, trade schools, career, or technical schooling.

The contest is for graduating seniors located in the BBB serving the Canton Region & Greater West Virginia’s service area, which includes 12 counties in southeastern Ohio and 52 counties in West Virginia. Six scholarships were awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500. Students from 79 schools submitted 154 essays.

Walsh University launches Office of Alumni and Career Connections

NORTH CANTON − Walsh University is launching the Office of Alumni and Career Connections to connect the alumni network, faculty, staff and coaches, employers and community partners with students early in their enrollment.

Walsh alumna and Assistant Vice President of Alumni and Career Connections Stephanie Koontz will lead the alumni relations team and the career connections team to create connections with alumni, corporations, community stakeholders and students.

Director of Alumni and Career Connections Elissa Prazer will continue engaging Walsh’s network of alumni and friends through social events, recognition programs, networking, reunions and volunteer opportunities, while also working with members of the campus community to assist students and alumni in their career planning and development.

Career Connections will include events and activities such as the Senior Social, an open-house style event where seniors can get a headshot for their LinkedIn profile and talk to alumni and others on campus who know about post-graduate options. The Employer Visit Series lets students tour businesses, meet employees who are Walsh alumni, learn about the industry and explore internship and job opportunities. Speed Networking lets students connect with alumni and local businesses to create a professional network and practice for internship and job interviews.

Focus 2 is a self-guided career and educational planning system. Handshake is a free app that connects college students to employers from any device. Students receive personalized job recommendations based on their major, interests and skills, and can apply to internships and jobs through the career-services platform.

The Alumni in Residence program lets students meet with alumni who have office hours on campus. These professionals will be available for students and fellow alumni for career coaching, mock interviews, internship advice and resume reviewing.

Afterschool Child Enrichment Program, Mathnasium of Belden Village join forces

CANTON − Ohio Department of Education's Afterschool Child Enrichment Program and Mathnasium of Belden Village are partnering on math education for students in Stark County. Mathnasium of Belden Village will offer math tutoring services to eligible students of all ages and abilities. As part of the partnership, Mathnasium of Belden Village will offer individualized math tutoring services to eligible students from pre-K to pre-calculus.

The ACE Program (Afterschool Child Enrichment Educational Savings Account Program) is an Ohio Department of Education initiative to support students who are economically disadvantaged, academically at risk, or from underrepresented populations, according to a news release. The program provides funding to qualified providers to offer supplemental educational services to eligible students.

For more information on the ODE's ACE Program, visit https://education.ohio.gov/OhioACE. For more information on Mathnasium of Belden Village, visit https://www.mathnasium.com/beldenvillage/about.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Education roundup: Stark trio are Akron Children’s research scholars