J-M grads value personal attention the district gave them

LAKE MILTON

Erica Hughes could have attended a number of colleges that were offering her scholarships, but she chose the small, Christian Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., because it seemed a lot like attending Jackson Milton schools.

“It’s a small school, so we have teachers who care about what you do. They always want to help and support you in everything you do,” she said of Jackson-Milton.

Hughes, who was a top volleyball player at Jackson-Milton who will continue her volleyball career at Geneva, was one of six valedictorians and one salutatorian who spoke at Friday’s commencement at the high school. There were 79 graduates.

Nicole Fox, mother of graduate Jessica Gura, said she and her husband, Daniel Tickerhoof, decided to use open enrollment to send their kids to Jackson Milton because they both attended the school and like the values and attitudes you find there.

“It’s the small environment, the individual attention. The teachers take an interest. That’s rare,” she said.

Another valedictorian, Robert Voland, will be attending Youngstown State University in the fall to major in chemistry, a field he realized he liked during his junior year at Jackson-Milton.

Read more about the graduates and the ceremony in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.