Competitors from left include Gage Stevenson, Kristina Plank, Ava Klingler, Jailyn Leeper and Sam King.
DeGRAFF — Riverside seniors got down to business as they competed on behalf of Ohio recently in San Diego.
Students who are part of the Riverside Business program that is offered through the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center’s satellite pathway traveled to California to compete in the 2024 National LifeSmarts Championship. Sam King, Ava Klingler, Jailyn Leeper, Kristina Plank and Gage Stevenson ambitiously took on this national competition that they won and that earned them the invitation to compete in San Diego as “THE” Ohio team.
Business teacher and adviser Lindsay Wyan, said the students were self-motivated in not only the technical aspects of the competition, but also the fundraising efforts as well. This was a precedent setting trip for the students and as such Ohio Hi-Point Career Center school funds were not able to be used. With travel costs of $6,000, the students knew this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity would take a lot of quick fundraising as well as intense preparation during an already busy time.
As a result of the win, Riverside competed in the 30th National LifeSmarts Championship held April 18 through 21 in San Diego where 48 teams competed. In addition to daily competitions, the students took advantage of their west coast trip and Wyan and many students took to surfing for the first time.
“It is not just about the competition that makes student trips so vital and priceless,” Wyan said. “It is the fact that so many of the students (and, even me, as an adviser) take a step outside of their comfort zone – literally outside the solid ground of Logan County — and take advantage of experiences that are simply not available in everyday life.
“These seniors are incredibly hard working and dedicated to their education. They not only have put our program on the LifeSmarts map, but they have also already qualified for and are raising funds to go to Chicago for BPA — a career tech student organization in which these students have excelled in since they became part of the program.
According to the LifeSmarts alumni and development manager Elena Robertson, the organization was thrilled to welcome the five Riverside seniors as the representatives for the state of Ohio. The Riverside students, affectionately referred to as “The Squad,” earned the highest honor in Ohio through testing and was selected as “THE” one Ohio team to travel to California to compete nationally against all other state teams.
