Students complete STEM academy at YSU

The program encourages young people to enter the STEM teaching field.

YOUNGSTOWN — Nearly two dozen local high school students successfully completed the Lake-to-River T4 (Teaching Tomorrow’s Teachers Today) Summer STEM Academy, earning a $200 stipend and a free laptop computer.

The academy, which had 51 students form Northeast Ohio participating, wrapped up its program at Youngstown State University a week ago.

YSU, in conjunction with Kent State University’s Ashtabula and Trumbull campuses and Jefferson Community College, ran the academy with a $340,000 grant from the Ohio Board of Regents.

Acceptance into the program was a competitive process with more than 100 high school juniors and seniors from Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Jefferson and Ashtabula counties applying.

Participants were able to earn both high school and college credit for biology and math classes.

The process began with a two-week residency session at YSU and then continued with students doing their coursework at YSU, Kent or Jefferson. It ended with a conference at YSU last Saturday during which students presented their research.

The program is designed to encourage students to pursue careers as teachers in science, technology, engineering or math.

The local participants and their schools were:

Victoria Bankhead, senior at Youngstown Christian High School; Shawniece Boss, senior at John F. Kennedy High School; Anthony Cassacchia, junior at Columbiana High School; Nicholas Ciarniello, senior at Springfield High School; Victoria Cook, senior at East High School; Rachel Harris and Solita Wilson, seniors at Chaney High School; Kaylee Jackintell, junior, and Benjamin Wilkin amd Dylan Thomas, seniors, at Struthers High School; Brittany Kennedy, senior at Brookfield High School; Marina Kounkel, senior at Salem High School; Jay Krishnan and Elysam Raib, juniors at Liberty High School.

Tyler Kuchta, senior at LaBrae High School; Marie Kutsko, senior at Canfield High School; Jared Nichols senior at Mathews High School; Alyson Pierce, senior at Howland High School; Alex Sargent and Jarrett Scacchetti, juniors at Hubbard High School; Rebecca Scheuller and Stelios Theophanous, seniors at Boardman High School; Amanda Stitt, senior at McDonald High School.