2005 CYEWalk of Fame
Honorees
Service to Others
Andrew Screptock
A 17-year-old senior at Springfield High School, Andrew is president of Student Government and serves as a leader of the community coalition, SHAPE (Springfield Holland Assets Partnership for Excellence). He is student representative on the Board of Education and works as a link between the board and students, providing student perspective on issues, and teaching classmates how board decisions are made.
Andrew has volunteered for other school projects including the Springfield Schools Secret Santa Shoppe Initiative to provide gifts for needy families), a canned food drive for Christmas baskets, and many National Honor Society service projects. He also runs the music program for services at his church every other Sunday.
In his free time, Andrew plays varsity level soccer and baseball, is a fourth-year trumpeter in the band, and has been the band’s Field Commander for three years. He performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade with the 2005 Bands of America Honor Band.
Kristina White, community liaison for Springfield Schools, writes, “Andrew is that rare young man who privately chooses to make a difference in this world…..not for the attention it will bring him but for the impact it will have on others.”
Cheri, father Carl, First Lady and President Bush
at the White House Holiday Party December 4, 2004
Sharing Talents
Cheri Christopher
Cheri is 17 years of age and is a student at Roy C. Start High School. She is very active in the community as a mentor and role model through her participation in Positive Choices, an abstinence-until-marriage teen pregnancy prevention and character-building program.
Cheri shares her talents of acting and dancing with the Toledo Repertoire Theatre, New Life Productions, and ALMA Dance. She is also a representative on The Community Partnership’s Coalition For Youth Enrichment Committee and was involved in the 2004 CAPA City Youth Leadership Conference. Cheri took the lessons learned in her leadership role as the judge of the CAPA City Court and shared them with other teen leaders.
In May of 2004 Cheri was interviewed by staff of the White House, and then spent ten minutes of personal time with President Bush during his visit to Dayton, Ohio. Because of her leadership and mentoring expertise, she was invited to join President Bush as the only teenager at the White House Holiday Celebration on December 4, 2004.
Jessica Salinas Henry, Teen Coordinator of Positive Choices of St. Vincent’s Medical Center writes, “(Cheri) is very poised and possesses many attributes that will make her successful in whatever task she undertakes.”
Personal Courage
Jessie Zamichow
Sixteen-year-old Jessie made the brave decision to transfer to Springfield Schools, the public school closer to her home, from a special school for students without hearing in Michigan and to learn to cope without her peers and familiar teachers.
Although her classes presented unique learning challenges, Jessie overcame many of her obstacles through creative writing skills. In 2004 as a freshman, Jessie won the local “Laws of Life” Essay Contest sponsored by the Springfield Schools Foundation. According to the judges, her entry, “Don’t Give Up”, carefully guided her readers to a better understanding of what it is like to be different from others. Jessie, without hesitation and without ever hearing the human voice, read her three-page essay aloud to a room of 100 teachers, students and community leaders.
Jessie continues to impress her fans by earning (as a freshman) starting positions on the junior varsity basketball and soccer teams. She is an inspiration to her teammates, classmates, teachers and administrators. In Jessie’s words, “…we all can be better than we think we can if we don’t give up.”
This project is made possible because of our CYE partnerships and funding provided by the Tim Energy Grant from the Toledo Youth Commission. Thank you to all our partners! - Staff: Kathy Schnapp