Students at Ravenna High School have gotten an inside look at city government as part of a new Youth Leadership Program.
The program, recommended in the city’s Comprehensive Plan, is a partnership between the high school and Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce, said Ryann Cline, executive director.
The Nov. 20 program, which had students visiting city hall and the fire and police departments, was the third session for the group. Previous sessions included students building scarecrows for the city’s downtown, and touring the Portage County Historical Society.
City officials who spoke with students demonstrated the kinds of careers students could have some day.
Councilwoman Cheryl Wood, who also is a Realtor, said she and her children have all graduated from Ravenna High School.
“If you told me when I was your age that I would be on council, I would have laughed,” she said. “Every department in the city has one or two Ravenna graduates. It shows that we are a deep-rooted community.”
Service Director Tim Contant said his journey since graduating from Ravenna High School included getting college degrees in criminal justice, attending the police academy and serving as an auxiliary police officer. From there, he went to work at the Chrysler plant in Twinsburg, starting in safety and security and eventually moved into skilled trades, staying until the plant closed in 2008.
That’s when he got a job in the city’s wastewater plant. He said he knew nothing about treating sewage when he first took the job, but obtained the necessary certificates and eventually went on to other roles, including safety compliance. Now as service director, he oversees five departments − engineering and building; water billing; wastewater; water treatment; and streets.
Contant said his departments oversee vital services, such as salting the roads during winter, leaf pickup, filling potholes, and hanging banners and holiday lights.
“I enjoy connecting with all the residents,” he said.
Tami Lorence, the city’s budget and finance director, discussed her work overseeing the city’s finances, and asked students how they would prioritize city funds if it was their decision. Some talked about bringing businesses to town, with one asking for a Chick-fil-A.
Chelsea Gregor, clerk of council, said she didn’t think about working in government until she moved to Mantua in 2012.
“All your council people are your neighbors, and they just decided to run,” she said. “It’s good being a public servant. You get to help people and you get to be a part of history.”
Ravenna Fire Chief Mark Chapple gave students a tour of the city’s fire station and talked to them about careers, both in the fire service and in nursing, the field in which his daughters work.
Ravenna High School Principal Jonathan Lane said Youth Leadership Program participants come from all grade levels and are members of the Principal’s Advisory Council. That group’s members are student leaders nominated by advisers and coaches of various extracurricular programs.
He said the group is intended to show the students various aspects of the community. Future topics include social services and healthcare.
Lane said he hopes some students will be inspired to consider a career in one of the areas they’ve seen.
“Maybe one of the students will say they want to be a council member, or a police officer or a firefighter,” he said. “It would be great if they could put their skills to use in the community.”
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna High student leaders learn about city offices, employment
Reporting by Diane Smith, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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