VIENNA, Ohio – Struthers High School senior Carmine Radcliffe plans to be an electrical lineman after graduation.
“And then, after four to five years, become a traveling one,” Carmine said, adding that he likes being outdoors.
He’s one of several pre-apprenticeship students who received prizes and scholarships from the Builders Association of Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Ten students received scholarships. Another six awards were presented to winners of the Adirondack chair competition.
Carmine won first place for his chair.
“We teach a construction course at Struthers, and this is part of the curriculum that the students have to make in order to pass the class and get their certificates,” explained Mike Donatelli, who teaches the class.
Both the scholarship and chair competition winners are students involved in school pre-apprenticeship programs who are planning to pursue careers in the trades.
Chris White, association board president, said the association is an introduction to the trades and a good place to start for anyone who wants to forge a career in one of those areas.
“They can get you connected with the right people to enter apprenticeship programs and continue with your skills beyond high school,” said White, who is the vice president of operations at Boak & Sons.
He told the students and teachers they should be proud of what he called a great accomplishment.
“And everybody in this room has taken note of it,” White said.
Scholarship winners are:
- Emily Baringer, Jayden James-McCaskill, James Tofil, Nikolas Pietrouski, Julius Tofil, Kris Caruso and Joshua Joki, all of Austintown Fitch. James Fisher is their teacher.
- Jakob Stiles of Ravenna Southeast. Joe Sutton is the teacher.
- Mason Laibe and Jason Pratt, both of United Local. Katie Davidson is the teacher.
Student chair competition winners are:
- First place: Radcliffe, Struthers. Donatelli is the teacher.
- Second place: Brady Conner, Boardman. Marvin Aeschbacher is the teacher.
- Third place: Jackson Ensley, Springfield. Will Franklin is the teacher.
School chair competition winners are:
- First place: Springfield; students, Tristan Hayes and Jackson Ensley; teacher, Franklin.
- Second place: Brookfield; students, Matt Roth, Nik Vlaici and Brayden Coleman; teacher, Cole Bencetic.
- Third place: East Palestine; students, Tanner Morrow, Braydon Plum and Michael Morrison; teacher, Levi Kunselman.
Each scholarship winner received a $400 gift card to Power Tool Supply and $200 to Red Wing Boots.
Ken Reid, association services director, said some of the chair competition winners agreed to have their handiwork auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the school programs. That auction concluded Tuesday.
Carmine said building the chair wasn’t so much challenging as time consuming. Entrants were given blueprints for the chairs and were able to choose a stain and embellishments to make them custom. It involved a lot of sanding and took Carmine about a month to complete.
Donatelli, his teacher, said the chair is a level-two assignment.
“So measuring and smaller projects are done at level one, and then they progress to the bigger ones,” he said.
This was the second year Struthers High entered the Adirondack chair contest.
“Last year we had a student who took second, so this year we finished first,” the teacher said.
The Builders Association represents more than 130 commercial construction firms in Trumbull, Columbiana and Mahoning counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania.
Pictured at top: Carmine Radcliff and Mike Donatelli.