Students
Cincinnati Ursuline Academy Students Visit Paris
What an unbelievable experience for these Ursuline Academy students – going to Paris! It was part of a pilot Academic Exchange Program with St. Josèph Lycèe in Reims. Seniors Jessie Ewen of Loveland and Brooke Kurkjian of Mason and juniors Julie Ivers of Symmes Township, Katie Polson of Mason, Zenab Saeed of Indian Hill, and Catherine Strietmann of Mount Lookout, were accompanied by Ursuline world languages teacher Lynda Hoffman-Jeep and guidance teacher Katy Zwolinski.
“The French Exchange Trip was an experience that truly changed my life. I learned that traveling abroad gives you a learning experience that you can never receive through a classroom or in a textbook. It is something totally unique that you cannot understand until you visit the country,” Catherine Strietmann said.
The students spent time with their French host families, whose daughters are part of the pilot academic exchange program and visited Ursuline Academy this past spring. While in Reims they attended classes at St. Josèph Lycèe, and some of them even stayed in the school dorms. The Lycèe attracts two-thirds of its students from Paris and the surrounding countryside, and is a boarding school as well as a day school, Hoffman-Jeep said.
Ursuline will host another group of female students from St. Josèph’s next spring.
Congratulations to Anthony Muñoz Foundation Straight ‘A’ Students!
More than congratulations…I want to say WAY to GO for these Cincinnati area students who are excelling in and out of the classroom.
Each year the Anthony Muñoz Foundation holds the Straight “A” Scholarship to award deserving young students who are:
- Pursuing Academic excellence as well as Athletic achievement
- Actively serving the community
- Possessing a strong Ambition
- Maintaining a winning Attitude
- Having the ability to overcome Adversity
The nomination process ran until February 25. After all nominations were submitted, the pool of candidates was narrowed to 18 senior finalists. One male and one female senior finalist received a $5,000 grant towards their continuing education. The remaining senior finalists received a $2,000 grant. All 18 finalists celebrated their all-around achievements in April, 2013.
The 18 finalists: received $2,000 college scholarship
DeNesha Bell, Dolores Clark ,Jamie Daley, Lindsay Darkins, Allison Glatt, Rachel Hall, Emily Kroger, Sarah LaCombe, Cerryia Lindberg, Ryan Burton, Shannon Chambers, Zachariah Class, Tom Cropper, Kyle Damen, Jacob Havran, Ben Linnabary, Adam Steele, and Matt Toerner.
The Male Senior finalist: received additional $3,000 scholarship
Shannon Chambers-Aiken HS; University of Cincinnati
The Female Senior finalist: received additional $3,000 scholarship
Rachel Hall-Saint Ursula; College Undecided
Miss Junior Teen Ohio, Jessica Waters, Has Can DO Attitude
On May 18, 2008, just days before Jessica Waters was to become 12, got the news that would rock her world. Finally, the trouble she was having with focusing and remembering in school was given a name. Jessica became one of the estimated 2.5 million America
ns diagnosed with Epilepsy, a disease of the central nervous system.
Suddenly, this young girl who liked to think of herself as the ‘tough kid’ was fighting the battle of her life. In her teenage years she has experienced three kinds of seizures including seven grand mal seizures. And her medicine altered her personality. Jessica was told she could no longer ride her bike and coaches no longer wanted her on their sports teams. She was asked not to attend parties. She was told she would never be able to dance, tumble or cheer again – her great passions. She was harassed and bullied.
It was a summer camp, Camp Flamecatcher for children with epilepsy and other disabilities, where Jessica came to realize she CAN still swim, canoe, run, swing, and do arts and crafts. And, she saw other kids doing those things too.
“It really opened my eyes,” she said. “Kids don’t realize how much they can do. Camp taught me that epilepsy wasn’t a defining factor in my life.”
But that experience wouldn’t have been possible for her without a sponsor. It is a gift that she is paying forward. She founded Cupcake Charity (with support from her mom) to raise scholarship money to send other kids to Camp Flamecatcher whose families otherwise couldn’t afford the cost. Jessica raised enough for two partial and one full scholarship, and she is working hard to raise more this year.
The Camp experience also stirred her to action in another way. “People just don’t listen to young people well and I thought what better way to do something about that then to go for a title,” she said. “I researched the pageant organizations that care about what you do for others and that is what I am all about.”
Meet Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012
At 15, Jessica – Miss Junior Teen Ohio 2012 – is a dedicated advocate for the Epilepsy Foundation, a member of her school’s Varsity Dance Team, a cheerleader for Beavercreek City Schools, received an All Team Academic Aw
ard and varsity letter for playing hockey, and is always looking for volunteer opportunities. Jessica is the youngest TWIG Auxiliary member for Dayton Children’s Hospital and is working with Julie Vann (previous mayor of Beavercreek) to establish a scholarship in honor of students her school has lost. For all that Jessica has accomplished, her list of accolades is simply too long to list.
I asked Jessica what her message is to other young people like herself. “I tell them to not let their disease or disability define them. You can do anything you put your mind to.”
I think that is a great lesson for all of us.
Anthony Munoz Foundation Is Accepting Applications For Scholarships
The Anthony Muñoz Foundation is offering high school seniors the opportunity to be awarded $20,000 in scholarship money through the Anthony Muñoz Scholarship Fund. The deadline for the Scholarship Fund is April 30th, which means 
there is a little more than a month left to apply.
The Anthony Muñoz Scholarship Fund is awarded to students who demonstrate a desire to overcome adversity, have financial need, excel academically, and fulfill a leadership role in the community. Up to six $20,000 scholarships will be awarded. Eligibility requirements and the scholarship application can be found on the Foundation’s website www.munozfoundation.org.
The recipients of the award will be recognized on June 9th, 2013 at the Hall of Fame Dinner in Mason, Ohio.
Cincinnati Teen Inspires Through Philanthropy & Writing
Meet a very talented author and humanitarian, Zai Johns.
Zai is a senior at Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame High School and she is someone who inspires me. At a young age, she has a huge heart and understands the power of kindness. She said giving back just does great things for the heart.
“Philanthropy literally means “love of humanity”. In simplest terms it means giving back to your community. This big word has a big punch! Once you understand philanthropy your heart will grow bigger. I know mine did for sure,” she said.
Zai told me her passion for helping others began three years ago when she got involved with her school’s Youth Philanthropy Council (YPC).
“Being a part of helped me push to get my book published. My book is titled Animal Adventurers Book 1: Murder at Thompson Manor which is the first in the series. I wrote this book in order to give animals a second chance for a family and life,” she said.
Over three quarters of the profits goes to nonprofit organization Magnified Giving, towards the Animal Adventurer Grant.
Magnified Giving is a local non-profit that educates youth, mainly high school students about philanthropy through a yearlong program. They research, do presentations, have fundraisers, and at the end of the year give a money grant to a non-profit.
About Zai’s book, Animal Adventures Book 1: Murder at Thompson Manor
Chrissy only knows that she is alone, with no one to turn to. All she has to offer herself is a small amount of hope that her world will go back to normal, whatever normal is.
When Chrissy gets recused her world seems to make a little bit of sense again. She gains a new family composed of Pumpkin, a clumsy black kitten, Lianna, a stubborn know-it-all Dalmatian, and Frosty, an over-excited, talkative Siberian husky. But when a 
stranger, with an offer, comes to the door, her secure world comes crumbling down around her. Chrissy must leave behind her safehome, and go on a spiraling adventure to save her family.
Of course her adventure isn’t easy, especially when her new billionaire owner is murdered, and her family is left abandoned once again. Things get even more out of control when her rescuer Brad, is accused of being the killer, and is locked up in jail. Will Chrissy and her family be able to prove Brad innocent and catch the real killer?
The Animal Adventurers is a creative blend of non-stop suspense, drama, and mystery. It’s a heartwarming story filled with courageous, abandoned characters that will do anything for family.
For more information on Animal Adventurers please go to www.animaladventurers.com
