Lt. Governor Jim Tressel speaks to the packed Bellefontaine High School gymnasium for the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center convocation Wednesday night. (OHPCC PHOTO)
Celebrating under the theme “Prepared by Grit, Powered by Opportunities,” 335 students took the next step toward adulthood at Ohio Hi-Point’s (OHP) 2026 convocation on Wednesday, May 20. Due to the large audience and inclement weather, family and friends of the graduates once again crowded into the gymnasium at Bellefontaine High School.
Seniors Kyan Thomas, construction trades, Marysville, and Luke Hensel, heavy equipment operations, Kenton, served as the evening’s masters of ceremony.
Luke Hensel, left, and Kyan Thomas, Ohio Hi-Point 2026 graduates, take the podium as Masters of Ceremony at their graduation. (TONY BARRETT PHOTO)
After the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, the two introduced this year’s student speakers, Kaylena Barr-Ahnutae, Health Careers Academy (HCA), and Richiona Burnell, cosmetology, Bellefontaine High School (BHS).
Barr-Ahnutae encouraged her fellow classmates to “remember that behind all good action is being prepared and being prepared leads to opportunities.”
Kaylena Barr-Ahnutae, a Health Careers Academy student at Ohio Hi-Point, encourages her classmates to not wait for opportunities but to “start the search, take the leap, because action is what creates opportunities.” (TONY BARRETT PHOTO)
“Today is the day we stop being the students and start being the leaders,” Burnell stated during her speech. “We weren’t just prepared to work. We were prepared to create. We’re leaving here with skills, a few scars and a plan.
“Look out, world. The class of 2026 is coming for that paycheck!”
Burnell told her fellow classmates “talent and a license aren’t enough to build a future. You have to be someone people want to work with. You have to bring light into the room, show up early, and treat every person with respect.”
Richiona Burnell smiles for the camera at the 2026 Ohio Hi-Point convocation on Wednesday. (TONY BARRETT PHOTO)
Brad Richardson, OHP superintendent, then took the stage to introduce this year’s keynote speaker. He was “accompanied” by seniors Easton Predmore, Gavin Bethel and Ayden Adams, who played “Hang On Sloopy,” the official rock song of the state of Ohio and one the speaker has a deep, enduring connection to.
That speaker, of course, was former head football coach for the Buckeyes and current Lt. Governor Jim Tressel.
Richardson said Tressel “brings decades of experience guiding young people toward opportunity, including a distinguished coaching career that included national championships at both Youngstown State and The Ohio State University.”
Former head football coach for the Buckeyes and current Lt. Governor Jim Tressel serves as keynote speaker at the 2026 convocation ceremony for Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. (TONY BARRETT PHOTO)
Carrying on the night’s theme, Tressel started by saying, “It takes a lot of grit to get to this point, and the opportunities couldn’t be better.”
To clarify, he pointed out how Ohio has gone from being ranked 35th in the nation for attracting businesses to now being in fifth. He then promised a short speech by saying Governor Mike DeWine told him as he was leaving that good graduation speakers should “be brief and be seated.”
With that in mind, Tressel jumped right into his remarks, which went over the four common denominators he’s seen in young people whose trajectory in life takes off. Those are:
They carry with them an attitude of gratitude.
Quoting a former OSU football player, Tressel said, “Show me your friends, I’ll show you your future,” explaining the value of good friends in having a successful life.
These students are also more apt to get involved in group activities outside of work or school.
Finally, they’re able to keep things in perspective.
For the lieutenant governor, one aspect of his life he always wants to keep in perspective is his faith journey. With that in mind, he reminds himself daily what really matters.
“Who we are and what we decide is important to us—we need to work extremely hard to try to keep that perspective in the midst of this noisy, busy, distracting world we live in,” Tressel said. He encouraged them to follow those common denominators, adding that if they do these four things, “you’ll go out and realize your dreams, live your life, make a difference.
“And so on behalf of the State of Ohio, we thank you for having that grit.”
Lt. Governor Jim Tressel speaks to the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Class of 2026 Wednesday evening. (TONY BARRETT PHOTO)
Other highlights of this year’s OHP graduation:
Former staff members Jason Cobb and Bryan Knurek sang the National Anthem.
132 students participated in the work-based-learning program, equaling 48,000 hours and earning almost $900,000.
The class had a 95 percent passage rate on career technical final assessments with 1,113 credentials to take into the workforce.
They earned 262 college credits.
59 students competed in various competitions, representing OHP at the state level.
And seven seniors advanced to National Career Technical Student Organization competitions: Destiny Wiseman, education academy; Alizabeth Lear, Graham; Amelia Clark, culinary, Urbana; Maria Casanas, cosmetology, BHS; Burnell; Nate Hoffman, exercise science, Benjamin Logan (BL); Kenzie Bernard, EMT, BHS.
Ohio Hi-Point seniors Ayden Adams, Gavin Bethel and Easton Predmore play “Hang On Sloopy” during the introduction of Lt. Governor Jim Tressel as the keynote speaker for Ohio Hi-Point’s convocation ceremony Wednesday, May 20. The official Ohio state rock song is particularly meaningful for Tressel, who had a distinguished football coaching career at The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2010. (TONY BARRETT PHOTO)
Once again, students were encouraged to commit to their “E.” For the 2026 graduating class, that came down to 52 percent Employed, 37 percent Enrolled, 5 percent in an Entrepreneurship and 6 percent Enlisted.
Regarding the latter, the 16 students who have joined the United States military are:
Ohio Army National Guard—Predmore, BHS, heavy equipment operations and Hannah Seagraves, BHS, cybersecurity.
Army—Tyler Cable, BL, HVAC/electric; Brayden Shuster, Marysville, criminal justice; Skyler Poole, Mechanicsburg, criminal justice; Jarrett Stahler, Riverside (RHS), construction trades.
Army Reserves—Lake Buterbaugh, Marysville, welding and fabrication and Thomas.
Marine Corps—Chaseton Daniels, Indian Lake (IL), automotive; Leland Warner, RHS, construction; and Zander White, Graham, engineering, who shipped out the Monday before graduating. His sister, Zoey, a health careers academy student, stood on her brother’s behalf.
Air Force—Quinn Dyer, Upper Scioto Valley, engineering; Chase Fink, BL, automotive academy; Briana Popovich, Mechanicsburg, EMT; Ashton Shoffner, RHS, drone technologies; and Jacob Stone Jr., BHS, graphic media arts.
For the 38th year, Lou Vito with WPKO read the names to confer career passports for the class of 2026.
The presentations concluded with the introduction of Eugenia Matta, Marysville, as the 2026 OHP Senior Student of the Year. The award is given to the outstanding senior who has “continuously demonstrated strong character, grades, attendance, citizenship and service” at OHP.
Matta leaves the career center with a full-ride scholarship to The Ohio State University, where she plans to major in health science with a pharmaceutical science minor on the pre-medical track toward becoming a doctor.
Tonya Ramey, high school director, closed the ceremony.
“It is my sincerest hope that you have a prosperous life, a healthy and peaceful one filled with good relationships and the ability to be a blessing to others,” Ramey said. “You have left your mark on those gathered around you tonight.
“We’re better because you were here.”
