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Campbell grads step into futures from solid foundation
CAMPBELL
Gallery
Before 67 graduates of the Campbell Memorial High School Class of 2015 turned their tassels Thursday evening, someone who’d gone before them wanted to share some lessons learned.
Roxann Sebest, a 2000 graduate of CMHS, was back to speak at their commencement.
Sebest, who is perhaps best known in this area as a broadcast journalist for WKBN 27 First News before she became director of marketing and communications for the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley in January 2014, had some important news for the latest graduates.
There is something special about them, she said, that will make them able to contribute to the world in a special way – and that was her first lesson.
A co-worker who also had a boyfriend from Campbell once told her: “You Campbell kids – you don’t see color. You treat everyone the same.”
“At that moment,” said Sebest, “I’ve never been more proud to be from Campbell. Especially in today’s world. Civil rights is not a thing of the past.”
“When my friend said, ‘You Campbell kids,’” Sebest continued, “she was talking about all of us, even you, Class of 2015.”
“You don’t see color – to be exposed to all the cultures and races we have,” she said.
Sebest’s second lesson had to do with following dreams – “but know that in the years to come, dreams may change,” she said.
She used her own career change from TV news reporting to working for the United Way as an example.
She said she ran into a former teacher, the late Michael Soroka, while she was contemplating a career change.
“He said it’s OK to admit you’re not happy,” she said.
The last lesson Sebest wanted them to learn concerned “putting pen to paper” and telling the people who matter most to them how they feel.
She said her grandmother taught her that, because she still has her cards and letters.
“Don’t email it,” she said. “Don’t Instagram it. Put pen to paper, and you’ll have it forever.”
“Remember we were Campbell kids,” she said. “Raised right.”
Many of those Campbell kids seem to have their next moves all mapped out.
Stephen O’Dea will go to Youngstown State University to study actuarial science, a branch of mathematics that involves statistics, specifically risk management.
“Math was my strong suit,’’ he said. In doing research for careers, he found jobs in actuarial science are expected to grow 22 percent by 2020.”
Marissa Pecchia plans to major in accounting at YSU. “I knew I wanted some type of business major,” she said, though she might change her mind about accounting.
Marco Labra will go to YSU to study computer electrical engineering.
Nicholas Godoy also will go to YSU for the fall semester, then he will transfer to Akron or Kent State universities. He plans to major in zoology.