Talk of the Town

First, a great big thank you to dozens of volunteers who helped host Hudson High School After Prom at Case-Barlow Farm last month. For months before and into the wee hours of the night, parent volunteers organized and manned the annual event, which provided more than 200 seniors and their dates a fun and safe place to celebrate following prom.

The After Prom committee is especially thankful to the parents, community organizations and business who contributed money, gift cards, prizes, products and/or services to make this event successful. Those include Hudson City Schools Board of Education, Don Patron Mexican Grill, Whited Construction, The Kiwanis Club of Hudson, Hudson Athletic Booster Club, AR Workshop Hudson, Hudson Community First, Krieger’s Health Foods Market, Joann Fabrics, Great Clips, Callahan’s Carpet One Floor & Home, Dave’s Cosmic Subs, St. Mary’s Life Teen, Ohio Organics, Kibler Dance Academy, Splott Graphics, Asian Sun Martial Arts, Rischitelli & Poulos, Hallgarth Orthodontics, Diane Demuynck, The Chiropractic Place, Ohio Organics & Nature, Hudson Counseling and Wellness, The Shoppe An Alea Michelle Salon, Farinacci Pizza, Dave’s Cosmic Subs, Hershey’s, Sunbelt Rentals, Chipotle, Ballooning Hudson, Vanessa Haller and Panda Express.

The Hudson High School boys and girls rugby clubs competed in the annual Carolina Ruggerfest, held at Matthews Sports Complex in Matthews, North Carolina, matching up against 80 other teams throughout the country. The state champion Hudson girls squad, led by coaches Adam Wheaton and Megan Janice, took home two wins and three losses. The boys, who joined forces with the Walsh Jesuit rugby team and were led by coaches Alex Stein, Chris Reed, Sam Louis and Nathan Craig, fought hard but came up short. The Hudson/Walsh representation included approximately 90 players, coaches and parents supporting the teams. All enjoyed the weekend filled with rugby, camaraderie, excellent BBQ and beautiful weather.

Hudsonite Angela Milano has written a chapter in a book called “The Rising Sisterhood.” “The Rising Sisterhood” is a series with collaborative stories from different women to inspire, ignite and empower others. Angela’s chapter discusses a life-changing cancer diagnosis, which forced her to confront past trauma. Her journey includes cleansing her mind, body and soul and trusting in God’s plan.

“I remember being told that my diagnosis was one in a million and then that moment, I knew that whatever the outcome would be, God was going to use me and this experience for a greater purpose,” she said.

Angela has since started a podcast called “The Focus Within” and offers weekend renewal retreats. “The Rising Sisterhood” with Angela’s contribution will be released in June and available on Amazon. All proceeds from the book will be donated to Girl Talk, a group that helps girls around the world live confidently, lead fearlessly and support one another.

HHS freshmen Sara Sarkisian and Rachel Lehman are incredible dancers who just performed in Ballet Theatre of Ohio’s production of the “The Wizard of Oz” at the Akron Civic Theatre. Sara has been dancing with Meneer School of Dance for seven years and is a five-year Ballet Theater of Ohio member. She’s thinking about a career in dance. Rachel, who dances with Meneer School of Dance and in the Valley Theater of Ohio, has performed in seven different ballet performances. Way to go, ladies!

Speaking of productions, kudos to the cast and crew of Hudson High School’s “Chicago: Teen Edition” musical which received seven 2022 Dazzle Award Nominations, including “Best Show.” The “Best Show” nomination earned our students a performance on stage at the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square in front of a live audience of 2,000 people in May.

2018 HHS graduates Andrew Northrup and Sam Karmen have been best friends since they were 4 years old. When they were sent home from their respective universities due to COVID, the duo came up with an idea that piqued their interest: to create a hedge fund. They incorporated Western Connection Capital in September 2020.

“When we started, we had a large health care portfolio and biotech firms,” said Sam, adding that their fund is now broader and competes with large and established health care funds.

Andrew, who attends Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, recently placed second in a career development competition sponsored by DECA International. This contest drew over 1,500 college students from across the globe with Andrew placing second in the “Entrepreneurship; Growing your own Company” category for his work founding Western Connection Capital. Congratulations!

Fleet Response’s new building on Boston Mills Road now features student created works of art. Seniors Megan Zhao and Katheryn Palmieri and sophomores Evian Czirok and Audra Lozina were given their own 24-by-36 inch canvas and simple direction to paint a guitar as part of their National Honor Society volunteer hours, according to Julie Mawaka, a Fleet Response representative. The students chose their own medium and visual concept. At a May 4 grand reveal, students explained their paintings and why they chose their mediums.

“I have never made such a big painting before, and it’s very cool to have my art displayed outside of my home and school,” Katheryn said.

The students’ artwork will be displayed in the second-floor kitchen area of the new Hudson headquarters, called the Rock Hall.

“Our previous Rock Hall featured guitars and music artwork which made it a very memorable space in our previous office,” Julie said. “With our new HQ, we wanted to recreate the Rock Hall by displaying some of the same artwork used previously but also adding pieces of the Hudson community through this collaboration.”

What a great way for these kids to display their creations! 

Please share your good news at ddemuynck@scriptype.com and make it a great day!