Louisville, Jackson boast Canton Repository Teens of the Year

For the first time in 29 years, a Louisville High School student has been named a Canton Repository Teen of the Year.

Bridget DeJacimo, a 2022 graduate of Louisville, ended the decades-long drought after she was chosen by the Canton Repository Teen Board, which includes student representatives from most public and private schools in Stark County. Ryan Kelley, a 2022 graduate of Jackson High School, was selected as the male Teen of the Year.

Each year, the Teen Board meets from September through April to review and select students to be named Stark State College Teens of the Month. The two Teens of the Year are selected from a pool of those who win the monthly honors.

Another 2022 Louisville graduate, Evan Wengerter, was selected the 2022 Teen Board Member of the Year. All three students were awarded a $1,000 scholarship to help fund their post-secondary education.

Here are the winners, their college plans and more:

Bridget DeJacimo, Louisville

DeJacimo, 18, was named Teen of the Month in September 2021. She didn't know what it was at first, she said, but Wengerter worked with her to build her application and she found out shortly after that she had won.

In the fall, she plans to attend Ohio State University to study chemical engineering. Her end goal is to explore nuclear fusion research and focus on sustainability, she said.

The $1,000 scholarship she earned will help pay for her educational expenses and allow her to focus on another one of her passions: community service. While at Louisville, DeJacimo was involved in National Honor Society and Key Club, among many other organizations. She also volunteered at the Louisville YMCA, the Stark County Humane Society, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and more. Her hard work and widespread involvement in high school certainly contributed to her being named the Repository's female Teen of the Year, she said.

Read more about Bridget: Stark State College Teen of the Month: Bridget DeJacimo, Louisville

"I don't feel that I'm the smartest or the highest achieving, I just have a good work ethic," she said. "I'm the person who studies for hours, who spends way longer on assignments than I need to. I think my parents instilled in me that you don't have to be the best or have to be the smartest, you just have to work and your work ethic will overpower others."

DeJacimo also said she felt extremely blessed and grateful for the honor, one that she never thought she would receive "in a millions years."

When she heads to Ohio State in the fall, she plans on maintaining the work ethic she showcased in high school. She'll be low on the college totem pole, she said, but she's confident she'll make a name for herself.

Ryan Kelley, Jackson

Kelley, 18, selected in January, was named the first Teen of the Month of 2022. He was shocked and excited when he found out he won, he said, especially because he faced a lot of other impressive candidates.

Read more about Ryan: Stark State College Teen of the Month: Ryan Kelley, Jackson

He plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall to study chemistry, after which he plans to attend medical school. The scholarship associated with the Teen of the Year honor will help a lot, especially considering his plans to attend a private school and medical school after, he said.

Like DeJacimo, Kelley has made a commitment to volunteerism. Of his numerous areas of involvement, he said one of the most rewarding projects was with the Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio to establish a wheelchair basketball team at his high school.

Kelley credits other high school achievements — he was a state qualifier in tennis, cross country and speech and debate, with a seal of biliteracy in Spanish to boot — for his Teen of the Year accolade. Though he's nervous about going to Notre Dame, he thinks his passions will prepare him for the opportunity he's waited for his whole life.

"When I find something that I enjoy, I become really passionate about that thing. And that makes me want to put in all my time and effort into it," he said. "I mean, if I can win (Teen of the Year), ... I can maybe do a lot more. I'm confident now that I've had that experience."

Evan Wengerter, Louisville

Wengerter, 18, was selected by guidance counselors at Louisville to be on the Teen Board because of his involvement in band, lacrosse and other things at the school, he said.

On the board, he acted as a statistician, tallying votes on candidates. Each month, he also was tasked with nominating a male and female student from Louisville to compete for the title of Teen of the Month. In the 2021-22 school year, four of the students he nominated were chosen, he said.

He will attend University of Mount Union this fall to study exercise science and plans to seek his doctorate in physical therapy. Like Kelley, he's grateful for the $1,000 scholarship because Mount Union is a private school.

Though he didn't know a lot about the board when he was first selected, he said the work has been rewarding. He even made several friends on the board, including his future roommate at Mount Union.

"This has been such an incredible learning experience," he said. "I'm involved in quite a few things and I haven't experienced anything like this. I mean, working hard to achieve things that you never thought you could, just like I said, it's a one of a kind experience."

Contact Ryan via email at rmaxin@gannett.com, on Twitter at @ryanmaxin or by phone at 330-580-8412.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton Repository Teens of the Year from Louisville and Jackson