EATON — The Preble County Educational Service Center (ESC) hosted the annual Rotary Honors Scholars Banquet on Thursday, April 25. Some 102 students were recognized in front of their parents, educators, and friends.
According to Preble County ESC Assistant to the Treasurer Laura Cottingim, the banquet is sponsored by the Rotary Club and is designed to recognize the top five percent of sophomores, juniors, and seniors from each district in the county.
“The schools send me a list of these students after the third quarter ends and they are invited. The Rotary Club pays for the student’s meals and then any guests who attend pay for their meal. This year we had almost 300 people attend the event. This event is important to recognize student’s academic achievement, being in the top five of your class is quite an accomplishment,” Cottingim said.
There were 28 students recognized from Eaton High School, 16 recognized from National Trail High School, 17 recognized from Preble Shawnee High School, 21 recognized from Twin Valley South High School, and 20 recognized from Tri-County North High School.
The ceremony also featured a speech from Dr. Craig Hewitt of Hewitt Ross Dental.
Dr. Hewitt and his wife are both graduates of Eaton High School. He completed his undergraduate studies at Wittenberg University and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. Following dental school, he served as a U.S. Navy Lieutenant treating Marines and Navy personnel. Following his Navy duty, he returned home to Eaton and started his dental practice.
Dr. Hewitt talked to the students present about his career path. He also gave them crucial advice, telling them to work hard, but also listen to their mentors and peers and take their advice to heart. After all, that is how he decided to go to dental school and into the Navy — at the advice of those he admired most.
“When I look back at my path through life, the choices I’m most proud of weren’t always my ideas to begin with. Now you may be fortunate enough to find your path on your own, but by keeping an open mind and listening to those people I admired and those people that care about my success, I was able to hear their good ideas,” Hewitt said.
“Many times, the good ideas come from the people most concerned about our future happiness and our future success. Few people want more for you than those people sitting right next to you. Ultimately, it is up to each one of you to do the research and decide which choices really benefit you or will help you achieve your person goals.”
