“We all have perspectives, we all have vantage points of how we look at the world. Unfortunately, much of how we look at the world is based on echo chambers that we live in, talking and being around people who are like minded, which can be problematic,” said keynote speaker Michael Carter, senior advisor to the president of Sinclair Community College.
Carter is a Springfield native, Wittenberg University graduate and longtime advocate for education, youth and community. He has worked with, coached and mentored young people through the Dayton and Springfield regions for more than 40 years.
Fostering progress
Carter explored five characteristics he believes are key to driving meaningful progress and being a catalyst for change, including proximity, empathy, foresight, commitment and courage. He highlighted stories of people who have created lasting, positive change and explained why their impact continues to remains essential.
A catalyst of change refers to a person, event, situation or significant transformation in a given context often fostering progress or innovation, Carter said.
He talked about how, over the course of time, the nation has committed to never doing “this” again, such as indigenous genocide, slavery, Jim Crow, the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, segregation, internment camps, red lining and the Tuskegee experiment, which was conducted by federal health agencies between 1932 and 1972 on a group of nearly 400 African-American men.
“But we must ask ourselves, what is ‘this’ in these current times, and are we allowing it to happen and why?” Carter said. “Because we kind of fall into this myth that the majority of people do the right thing all the time. That doesn’t happen, but it takes people to stand up for the right thing, to do the right thing.”
In closing, Carter encouraged people to be a catalyst for change, saying, “It’s not about right or wrong. We’re either courageous or we’re cowards. Right and wrong has no party, and we have to rest in that and declare it a success.”
Peacekeeper Awards recognize 12 students
The annual Peacekeeper Awards were presented to 12 high school students “who celebrate diversity and inclusion through their actions, possess leadership qualities to positively resolve conflict and exhibit team-building skills,” according to Clark State.
The high school senior honorees:
- Lakyah Anderson, Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center, volunteers regularly in her school and community service initiatives.
- Trenton Barnett, Greenon High School, is a leader in the marching band drumline, a member of the National Honor Society, a Sources of Strength peer leader and works at Young’s Dairy.
- Jordan Bias, Catholic Central High School, is a member of the football and basketball teams, and hopes to pursue a future in culinary arts.
- Sierra Clay, Global Impact STEM Academy, co-chaired GISA’s Trunk-or-Treat, coordinating donations from more than 800 students and organizing participation between classmates, staff and community partners to benefit more than 850 local children.
- Grady Gruber, Kenton Ridge High School, is recognized for his kindness, positivity and respect for others, and responds to challenges and negativity with patience and understanding.
- Katie Kouts, Tecumseh High School, participates in track, volleyball and basketball; is employed at Old Scratch Pizza and Rich Taste Catering; and is involved in several school and community organizations, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions and Young Life. She plans to attend Clark State College to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.
- Carson Krieg, Southeastern High School and College Credit Plus, is captain of the football team, a member of the basketball team and National Honor Society, and a volunteer at his church and the Good Samaritan Outreach Center.
- Stephen Roddy, Northeastern High School, is involved in athletics including football, powerlifting and track and field; participates in the National Honor Society; and works as a student communications intern.
- Brock Rue, Emmanuel Christian Academy, is senior chaplain and vice president of the National Honor Society, and involved in his church and competitive powerlifting.
- Craig Ruf, Shawnee High School, is president of student council, a member of the varsity bowling team, and participates in Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He ranks at the top of his class and has earned the Ohio Governor’s Merit Scholarship and admission through the Ohio Guaranteed Admission program.
- Maya Steele, Northwestern High School, is president of the National Honor Society, works to expand service opportunities for her classmates and serves as an Awana leader at her church.
- Kimberly Tzintzun, Springfield High School, helps with classroom communication and volunteers as a translator at school events to help those navigating language barriers as she began school with limited English and understands the challenges.
J.J. Peck, Second Harvest Food Bank honored
Others who were honored with awards include:
J.J. Peck, coordinator of the Peer Recovery Support program at Clark State, received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, which honors a Clark State employee who “leads by example through personal development, inclusive practices and forward-thinking approaches,” according to Clark State.
Peck empowers people in recovery to transform their experiences into meaningful support for those facing addiction and mental health challenges, and has trained more than 400 peer support specialists.
Outside of the college, he leads communitywide Narcan training initiatives aimed at saving lives and connecting people to treatment and recovery resources. He is an active volunteer with local homeless shelters, hospitals, McKinley Hall, the NAACP Springfield Chapter and others, and serves as a member of the Clark County Substance Abuse Coalition.
Second Harvest Food Bank received the Hope Award, which recognizes a local organization whose “unwavering commitment to service, empowerment and positive change has significantly impacted their community,” according to Clark State.
The SHFB serves Champaign, Clark and Logan counties to help alleviate hunger by sourcing and distributingfood and building community partnerships. They work with more than 60 distribution agencies in the tri-county area. In 2024, they served more than 56,000 people and distributed nearly 5 million meals.
The annual MLK event is in partnership with the city of Springfield, Park National Bank and Invenergy, as well as the Springfield Foundation, Springfield Links and United Way of Clark, Champaign and Madison Counties.
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