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Ursuline High doles out 126 diplomas to graduates
By Bob Jackson
YOUNGSTOWN
There probably aren’t many people who can say a broken neck helped propel them to the top of their class, but Christopher Metzinger can, and does.
Metzinger, 18, was valedictorian of Ursuline High School’s Class of 2016, which graduated Sunday afternoon during a commencement ceremony at Stambaugh Auditorium.
He is a third-generation graduate of Ursuline, and the second in his family to finish at the top of their class. His brother, Matthew, was valedictorian in 2011.
“When I went into high school, my dad challenged me to do better than my brother,” Christopher said with a wide smile. “There was a lot of pressure on me, but that was always my inspiration and motivation.”
The competition to match Matthew’s academic accomplishment was tough, but good-natured, Christopher said. But injuries he suffered during two ill-fated years of playing football also helped push him toward his goal.
As an eighth-grader, Christopher suffered a broken neck on the gridiron and missed much of the season. Looking back, he realizes what could have been.
“I’m so lucky,” he said just before commencement began. “It could have been a lot worse. I could have been paralyzed.”
As a freshman, he gave football another try as a kicker, but ended up with a broken pelvis. Those injuries persuaded him to give up football. He played tennis as a sophomore, junior and senior, but said leaving football behind allowed him to focus more heavily on his grades.
Christopher said he will attend the honors program at the University of Dayton in the fall, where he will major in either civil or aerospace engineering.
Principal Matthew Sammartino said the other 125 members of this year’s graduating class are much like Metzinger.
“They’re a very close-knit class, and very committed to Ursuline,” Sammartino said. “They are a very high-achieving class, and they will be missed.”
Michael Jones, 18, said the time he’s spent working with elderly people at an assisted-living facility is largely what led him to pursue a career in nursing after graduation.
“I really like working with older people, and I like helping and taking care of people,” said Jones, who works at the Inn at Ironwood in Canfield. Like Metzinger, he’s a third-generation Ursuline graduate. His parents, Thomas and Deanna D’Amico Jones, and his grandfather, Thomas Jones, preceded him.
Chris Bielefeld said he’s “ready to move on” to life after Ursuline. He’ll study exercise science at Youngstown State University, but ultimately hopes to become a personal trainer and enter the world of competitive Crossfit training.
Bielefeld, 18, a fourth-generation Ursuline graduate, has been involved in Crossfit since October, and likes the high-insensity nature of the games.
Rachel Susany, 18, came to Ursuline two years ago, after beginning her high-school studies at Mohawk High School in Pennsylvania, and said she never felt like an outsider after the switch.
“They really welcomed me here, so it’s sad to be leaving,” said Susany, 18.
Kayla Carter plans to pursue her passion for cooking by attending culinary school in Pittsburgh. Being a part of the Ursuline legacy will always be special to her, she said. Her father, Arthur Carter, also graduated from Ursuline.
Kayla and her mother, Kelly Tucker, said neither had cried leading up to Sunday, but they weren’t sure whether they’d make it through graduation without shedding tears.
“I know I won’t [cry],” said Kayla’s grandfather, Roney Tucker. “I’ll be shouting for joy.”