Lions Club Student of the Month for May is a young man involved in numerous curricular and extra-curricular activities and has performed admirably in all of them.  He is Brandon D’Egidio, son of Teresa and Michael D’Egidio. 

In the classroom, Brandon ranks in the upper 25% of his graduating class, while taking a full load that includes AP Calculus, Physics, and Physiology.  Brandon also is enrolled in the Peer Leadership class where he is a member of the Big Buddies Program, mentoring younger students at Sailorway Middle School.

Outside the classroom, Brandon participates in football and soccer, earning varsity letters in both sports.  Where he really excels, though, is on the wrestling mat. Brandon has recorded 135 wins in his four years, 85 of them by pin, and has been a sectional and district qualifier all four years. As a Senior, and captain of the wrestling team, Brandon earned the ranks of Sectional Champion, District Runner-up, and qualified for the State Tournament as one of the top 16 wrestlers in the 126-pound weight class in Ohio.  He is a Lorain County All-Star all four years and was selected as Lorain County second team and Morning Journal 1st team Wrestler in his Senior year.

Besides being a success in the classroom and on the athletic fields, Brandon volunteers with the Vermilion Biddy Wrestling program as coach and instructor, as an official for Evolve Wrestling Tournaments and as a Vermilion Rec League Flag Football official.  He has spends time working for Second Harvest Food Bank and has worked with several school Levy Campaigns. 

Many of Brandon’s teachers and coaches would say he is hard working and respectful in the classroom. Wrestling team Coach Brandon Gilbert said, “Brandon is a relentless, hardworking and dependable young man who never gives up.”

 

When she is not setting high standards for Speech and Debate, she is setting them in the classroom, ranking 2nd in the Senior Class with a 4.431 GPA with a schedule that includes many college level and advanced placement courses.  In addition to her state awards, Liberty has been named an Academic All-American, and Advanced Placement Scholar and earned Honorable Mention in Math Con during her Junior and Senior year.  She won an Academic letter and a Lamp of Learning pin through National Honor Society, and is a two-time winner of the local Rotary 4-way Contest. She is a member of the 2019-2020 Academic Challenge, a member of Student Council and is Vice-President of NHS. For the past several years Liberty has been a fixture on the football field as a majorette for the Sailor Marching Band, serving as the Head Majorette in the 2019 season.

Outside of school Liberty is active in Project MORE at Sailorway Middle School, a reading literacy program. She volunteers and helps weekly in the Saint Mary’s Preschool classes and coaches middle school Speech and Debate at Sailorway.  And, if all that were not enough, she works at Dairy Dock in the summer.

Any of Liberty’s teachers and advisors would agree that she is hard-working, dedicated and has a strong character. Whether it is in the classroom, in competition or while working, she is certainly a young woman who is an asset, a positive presence, and someone who has what it takes to make it.

Liberty is the daughter of Brandon Oliver and Andrea and Andy Burkey. 

April Lions Club Student of the Month is Dillon Henry, son of Brenda and Eric Henry.  

Dillon is currently ranked in top one third of the Senior class and sports a 3.2 GPA while enrolled in a schedule of predominantly college level courses. 

For his Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years Dillon has been scheduled at EHOVE and is a fine example of a student making the most of his opportunities. As a member of the Robotics team, he and his teammates were able to achieve a top 10 finish in the State Regionals last year.  The team was primed to surpass last year’s performance when this year’s event was cancelled.  Dillon previously earned AutoCAD certification and is currently working toward Computer Integrated Manufacturing certification.  He has also been a two year member of the Drone Racing Team.

Outside of academics, Dillon has been a Cedar Point employee for the past two years, and will return for a third year in the leadership role of Area Supervisor.  Dillon also finds time to volunteer with his mother in the Serving Our Seniors program in Sandusky, and as a Biddy Wrestling Camp Instructor during wrestling season.

As a four-year Varsity letterman in Wrestling, Dillon was chosen as captain of the team this year, and finished as a District qualifier in the 152-pound weight class.  He was also named third team All Lorain County for wrestling this season.

Dillon plans to continue his education at college next year, with The University of Toledo being one of his top  choices.  Congratulations to Dillon on his fine accomplishments and for representing his family, school, and teams remarkably well.

Lion’s Club February Student of the Month, Claudia Wilson, is the perfect example of a student making the most of her high school years. She is involved in many things in school, out of school, and in the community.

As a student, she is currently taking the majority of her classes at Lorain Community College.  She sports a solid 3.74 GPA which ranks her as 22nd in her class. Her academic work has earned her the Sandusky Bay Conference Scholar Athlete Award, Lorain County Scholar Athlete Award, Track Scholar Athlete Award (twice), and State of Ohio Scholar Athlete Award.  Claudia is also a member of National honor Society, and is active in GSA and Move 2 Stand.

As an athlete, Claudia has been named Captain of the Soccer team, the basketball team and the track and field team.  She earned 4 varsity letters in soccer, 4 in track and field, 2 in basketball, 3 marching band letters, and is a two-time Golden Plume award winner.  She has been named to Sandusky Bay Conference teams, All-Lorain County teams, all district teams, and was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in soccer.  She is also the Drumline Section leader and a member of the pep band.

Outside of school, Claudia volunteers at United Church of Christ, Grace’s Kitchen, coaching with the youth basketball program, Operation Christmas Joy, Vermilion Food Bank and the newly formed Sailor Cuisine Food Pantry Program.  She has been instrumental in creating three food drives and several special admission nights for girls’ soccer and basketball.  In fact, she is currently setting up yet another program for student help.

Watching this young lady negotiate through the hallways and athletic fields of Vermilion High School, one can truly see a person who is committed to a cause, well-versed in understanding her responsibility to the greater good of those around her, and dedicated to making herself a better student, a better athlete and a better citizen.  Claudia is the daughter of Julie and Brian Wilson.

January Student of the Month is Haley Ritchie, a wonderful young lady who, with a GPA of 3.71, is ranked in the upper 15% of her graduating class. It is worth noting that this honor was earned while completing several honors and AP classes.  The result of this academic excellence is that Haley has been honored with the Academic Award of Excellence, AP Scholar Award, and Model UN Outstanding Position Paper Award.  She has also received the Golden Plume award twice in her career with the Sailor Marching Band for leadership and skill and earned a place in the Honors Band.  

At VHS, Haley is a member of National Honor Society, Leo Club, Book Club, Student Council, and Speech and Debate. She was chosen as a representative to Buckeye Girls State, and was nominated for a BGS scholarship, an honor bestowed on only 20 of the 900 participants.  She has also been an OMEA large group contest winner and served as Sailor Marching Band Vice-President and President.  She is active in the VHS musical and drama productions as well.

When she is not dazzling others with her intellectual abilities and talents, Haley finds time to volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank and the Erie County Humane Society. One might also find her working as a volunteer researcher at Old Woman’s Creek, and, just to keep her life interesting, she is a reservation agent at Cedar Point Amusement Park.

When asked about Haley, National Honor Society advisors Kellie Pancost and Michael D’Egidio both agreed, “She is extremely focused and organized, as well as being dedicated and hard working.  She is very giving of her time and is a wonderful young lady.”  Her other teachers added the words “determined” and “involved”.

Haley Ritchie is daughter of Julie and Scott Ritchie, pictured here with Lions Club liaison Bill Decker.