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Academic Leaders Choose Ohio University Eastern

Photo Provided From left, recent high school graduates Abby Swallow, Beallsville; Hugh McPeek, Buckeye Trail; Rachel Zeroski, Buckeye Local and Kyle Carpenter, Beallsville, gather before classes begin at Ohio University Eastern in St. Clairsville. These valedictorians and salutatorians, along with Halie Trouten from Buckeye Local and Megan Lattocha from Union Local, chose to stay close to home to pursue their higher education goals.

High school valedictorians and salutatorians typically have many options from which to choose when deciding on a college to attend. The class of 2016 was no different. As a result of their hard work and distinguished academic achievements, they were recruited and offered scholarships to attend many different schools both in state and out of the area.

However, several of these academic leaders have decided that they did not have to go away to go far. Kyle Carpenter, Beallsville High School valedictorian; Halie Trouten, Buckeye Local High School co-valedictorian; Rachel Zeroski, Buckeye Local High School co-valedictorian; Megan Lattocha, Union Local High School salutatorian; Hugh McPeek, Buckeye Trail High School salutatorian; and, Abby Swallow, Beallsville High School salutatorian, decided that their best option for a high quality education, one that would provide them with the best opportunity to achieve their dreams and career goals, was located right here in the Ohio Valley.

On Monday, they joined a large and talented incoming freshmen class at Ohio University’s Eastern Campus in St. Clairsville.

OUE Dean Paul Abraham is looking forward to working with these students over the next four years.

“It has been an honor to award our Dean’s Distinction scholarships to these valedictorians and salutatorians,” Abraham said. “As a campus community, we are proud of the caliber of students we currently have and those of our incoming class.”

“After hearing their stories and future pursuits, I am most impressed with their understanding of educational requirements,” said recruitment coordinator Lisa Jeffries. “At age 18, these students are wrapping their heads around six to eight years of college and graduate school. They understand that Ohio University Eastern is a cost effective and academic fit to taking their first step.”

Like most freshmen, these scholars have a variety of interests and expectations.

Lattocha’s career goal is to become a teacher. “I will be majoring in middle childhood education,” she said. “I have witnessed firsthand the important role that teachers can play on children and young adults and believe that I can make a positive difference in my community with this career path. I also am confident that the individual attention that I will be receiving from the education faculty will make a difference in my development as a young teacher.”

Zeroski plans to become a physician’s assistant. “There are two academic programs at the Eastern Campus that can prepare me at the undergraduate level for this field, human biology and exercise physiology. I am not certain which way to go, but it is nice to know that there are options. I could also relocate to the Athens campus after a couple of years if I decided to pursue a different major like biology.”

Trouten also would like to go into the medical field. “At this point, I plan on majoring in human biology and definitely plan to stay at the Eastern Campus for all four years,” she said. “Graduate school is expensive, and I like the fact that I can get a great education that will properly prepare me for my future endeavors, and graduate with an Ohio University degree without accumulating any debt. In addition, the Eastern Campus is close to home, and the faculty and staff are all very kind and willing to help me with any questions or concerns.”

Swallow plans to become a certified public accountant. The Eastern Campus does not offer an undergraduate degree in accounting, but she will be able to get the majority of her classes out of the way before relocating to Athens. “I have decided to attend the Eastern Campus for as long as I can because the classes are small, the scholarships are generous, and the cost is affordable,” she said. “I will be relocating to the Athens campus in a couple of years to finish my degree in accounting.”

Carpenter is the latest in a long line of family members who have attended the Eastern Campus. “My dad and two uncles went to Ohio University Eastern, so I knew firsthand about the quality of the education while growing up,” he said. “My career goal is to graduate from Ohio University with a degree in chemical engineering, so I will be attending the Eastern Campus and finishing all of the prerequisites before relocating to the Athens campus. It is great to know that I will be receiving a terrific education here and I will not have to worry about whether or not my credits will transfer since I will be attending Ohio University campuses the entire time.”

McPeek, like the majority of college freshmen, is undecided about what field he would like to pursue. “My brother, Seth, who will be a senior at the Eastern Campus, is probably the biggest reason that I have decided to go to school there,” he said. “Seth has had a good experience in the classroom and on the campus, where he works in the fitness center, so I thought that it would be a good fit for me, too. I plan on taking the general Ohio University course requirements like English, science, history, and math during my first two years, and then hopefully, settle on a major.”

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