Funded by the State of Ohio through the Department of Higher Education and operated as a program of The Ohio Academy of Science, Believe in Ohio is a Student STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scholarship Program that prepares Ohio’s future workforce to meet the demands of a rapidly changing labor market and the innovation economy. The program emphasizes the importance of applying STEM and innovation to solve problems, and how to create solutions by developing marketplace opportunities through research and technological design.
Recently, 124 juniors and seniors from 90 high schools throughout Ohio were recognized for their contributions and earned a Believe in Ohio STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scholarship. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship to attend any Ohio college, university, or post-secondary career center. The application process evaluated academic achievement, answers to essay questions, and proof of validated accomplishments in STEM Innovation and entrepreneurship.
“STEM and entrepreneurship are a powerful combination for solving needs-based problems that drive new business formation”, said Michael E. Woytek, Executive Director for The Ohio Academy of Science. Woytek went on to add, “Ohio has a long tradition of innovation, and these students are the future innovators needed to propel Ohio’s innovation economy”.
Believe in Ohio is a free, comprehensive, curriculum-based, STEM and entrepreneurship program that supports both high school and middle school students. The program is designed to create a “Culture of Innovation” in Ohio high schools and pathways to Ohio’s colleges, universities, and technical centers. Believe in Ohio is a program of The Ohio Academy of Science and was developed in collaboration with Entrepreneurial Engagement Ohio.
For more information:
https://www.ohiosci.org/
https://believeinohio.org/
https://eeohio.org
The 2022 Believe in Ohio STEM Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scholarship Awardees:
| Name | City | High School |
| Mr. Eleanor Smith | Akron | NIHF STEM High School |
| Ms. Elizabeth Santa | Alexandria | Homeschool |
| Ms. Kacy Connolly | Alvordton | Hilltop High School |
| Ms. Madison Jeffries | Anna | Anna High School |
| Ms. Marissa Shook | Ansonia | Ansonia High School |
| Ms. Isabella O’Daniel | Arcanum | Arcanum High School |
| Ms. Mariah Kreusch | Arcanum | Arcanum High School |
| Ms. Jorie McDermott | Arcanum | Arcanum High School |
| Ms. Lauren Gower | Arcanum | Arcanum High School |
| Ms. Carsyn Hagans | Archbold | Archbold High School |
| Mr. Jacob Reuter | Beavercreek | Carroll High School |
| Mr. Zoie Van Huffel Gouldlock | Bedford | Bedford High School |
| Mr. Jack Agnew | Bellbrook | Carroll High School |
| Mr. Jordan Mason | Blacklick | Gahanna Lincoln High School |
| Ms. Emma Falgner | Blanchester | Blanchester High School |
| Ms. Ainsley Whitaker | Blanchester | Blanchester High School |
| Mr. Aubrey Nyiri | Bowling Green | Bowling Green High School |
| Ms. Emily Schafer | Bradford | Covington High School |
| Mr. Mason Lewis | Broadview Heights | Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School |
| Ms. Natalie Stover | Bucyrus | Wynford High School |
| Mr. Clay Vasko | Cambridge | John Glenn High School |
| Ms. Sophia Haughn | Canal Winchester | Bloom Carroll High School |
| Ms. Claire Loeffler | Canal Winchester | Bloom Carroll High School |
| Ms. Jocelyn Zhao | Canfield | Canfield High School |
| Ms. Allie Carter | Carroll | Bloom Carroll High School |
| Mr. Raef Taha | Centerville | The Miami Valley School |
| Mr. Daniel Brill | Chesterland | Chardon High School |
| Ms. Elsa Zhou | Cincinnati | Indian Hill High School |
| Ms. Yatra Patel | Cincinnati | West Clermont High School |
| Ms. Kiarah Richardson | Columbus | Dublin Scioto High School |
| Mr. Safiya Bainazar | Columbus | Metro Early College High School |
| Ms. Richael Saka | Columbus | St. Francis DeSales High School |
| Ms. Kassidy Lange | Commercial Point | Teays Valley High School |
| Mr. Caden Coleman | Concord Twp | Mentor High School |
| Mr. Laszlo Hary | Dayton | Carroll High School |
| Mr. Kameron Brown | Defiance | Defiance Senior High School |
| Mr. Adam Fronduti | Delaware | Rutherford B. Hayes High School |
| Mr. Mohammad Jamal | Dublin | Dublin Coffman High School |
| Mr. Mihir Vador | Dublin | Dublin Jerome High School |
| Ms. Ruth Beery | Frankfort | Adena High School |
| Ms. Leah Boegeman | Goshen | Blanchester High School |
Name City High School
| Ms. Grace Dolin | Grafton | Midview High School |
| Ms. Carrie Rhoades | Greenville | Ansonia High School |
| Mr. Andrew Baden | Hamler | Patrick Henry High School |
| Ms. Jessica Guilfoyle | Harrison | William Henry Harrison High School |
| Mr. Zane Rex | Harrod | Allen East High School |
| Ms. Sampurna Sarkar | Highland Heights | Mayfield High School |
| Ms. Nurah Baseer | Hilliard | Hilliard Bradley High School |
| Mr. Evan Fender | hillsboro | Hillsboro High School |
| Ms. Kyla Williams | Ironton | Ironton High School |
| Ms. Haylee Bachtel | Jackson | Jackson High School |
| Ms. Kaydee Brown | Jackson | Jackson High School |
| Ms. Jade Winters | Jackson | Jackson High School |
| Mr. Cliff Hoffman Jr | Kent | Field High School |
| Mr. Jeffrey Hoffman | Kent | Field High School/Maplewood Career Center |
| Ms. Kaylee Adams | Kenton | Kenton Senior High School |
| Ms. Hannah Saum | Lancaster | Amanda-Clearcreek High School |
| Ms. Kennedy Brehm | Lancaster | Bloom Carroll High School |
| Ms. Emma Greve | Marysville | Fairbanks High School/ Tolles Career and Technical Center |
| Mr. Emir Tali | Mason | William Mason High School |
| Mr. Johan DeMessie | Mason | William Mason High School |
| Ms. Snehal Choudhury | Massillon | Jackson High School |
| Mr. Ava Gibson | Maumee | Maumee High School |
| Mr. Eloise Voytko | McConnelsville | Morgan High School |
| Ms. Lauren Olenik | Mentor | Lake Catholic High School |
| Ms. Grace Chen | Mentor | Mentor High School |
| Ms. Alysandra Klein | Mentor | Mentor High School |
| Ms. Maura Murray | Mentor | Mentor High School |
| Ms. Haniyah Imran | Mentor | Mentor High School |
| Ms. Neha Pasupuleti | Miamisburg | The Dayton Regional STEM School |
| Mr. Ashton Beresford | Moreland Hills | Chagrin Falls High School |
| Ms. M’Kaia Trent | New Albany | Gahanna Lincoln High School |
| Mr. Varun Chitiveli | New Albany | New Albany High School |
| Mr. Jay Painter | New Albany | New Albany High School |
| Ms. Emily Moser | New Holland | Miami Trace High School |
| Ms. Kaylee Anderson | New Lexington | New Lexington High School |
| Mr. Julio Sica-Perez | New Philadelphia | Tuscarawas Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School |
| Ms. Cianna Woltz-Yarnelli | Newark | C-TEC Career & Technology Education Centers of Licking County |
| Mr. Noah Mylander | Oak Harbor | Oak Harbor High School |
| Ms. Marissa Maag | Ottawa | Ottawa-Glandorf High School |
| Mr. Reyan Shariff | Ottawa Hills | Ottawa Hills High School |
| Mr. Bode Menegay | Paris | East Canton High School |
Name City High School
| Mr. Youssef Erraki | Parma | Normandy High School |
| Ms. Kaylee Rauch | Parma | Valley Forge High School |
| Ms. Callie Bower | Parma | Valley Forge High School |
| Ms. Paige Jones | Paulding | Paulding High School |
| Mr. Therin Coyne | Payne | Wayne Trace High School |
| Mr. Cayden Wilson | Plain City | Jonathan Alder High School |
| Mr. Noah Zimmerman | Port Clinton | Port Clinton High School |
| Ms. Viviana Wheeler | Portsmouth | Notre Dame High School |
| Mr. Krishna Choppara | Powell | Olentangy Liberty High School |
| Mr. Dawson Forbush | Proctorville | Chesapeake High School |
| Mr. John Shin | Richfield | Hawken Upper School |
| Ms. Grace Moon | Rock Creek | Geneva High School |
| Ms. Sita Ramaiya | Shaker Heights | Hawken Upper School |
| Mr. Isaac Edelmann | Sidney | Anna High School |
| Ms. Meghan Chamberlin | Sidney | Lehman Catholic High School |
| Ms. Annamarie Stiver | Sidney | Lehman Catholic High School |
| Mr. Nathan Snizik | Springboro | Carroll High School |
| Mr. James Cox | Springfield | Catholic Central High School |
| Mr. Leonardo Juarez | Springfield | Catholic Central High School |
| Ms. Rori Copeland | St. Clairsville | St. Clairsville High School |
| Mr. Krishna Saraiya | Sylvania | Sylvania Northview High School |
| Mr. Frank Lee | Sylvania | Sylvania Northview High School |
| Ms. Mia Prisby | Sylvania | Sylvania Southview High School |
| Mr. Alex Lyall | Tipp City | Bethel High School |
| Ms. Jianna Nichols | Tipp City | Tippecanoe High School |
| Ms. Amelia Campbell | Tipp City | Tippecanoe High School |
| Mr. Raymond Flowers IV | Toledo | Sylvania Northview High School |
| Ms. Katie Weddle | Troy | Miami East High School |
| Ms. Jailah Truitt | Uniontown | NIHF STEM High School |
| Mr. Joshua Reichert | Van Wert | Van Wert High School |
| Ms. Caroline Varner | Waterville | Anthony Wayne High School |
| Ms. Kelly Wyse | Wauseon | Pettisville High School |
| Mr. Zachary Smith | Waynesburg | Sandy Valley High School |
| Mr. Derrick Andolsek | Wellington | Wellington Senior High School |
| Mr. Matthew Adkins | West Alexandria | Dixie High School |
| Ms. Caitlyn Leighty | West Salem | Northwestern High School |
| Mr. Ryan Walter | West Salem | Northwestern High School |
| Mr. James Bell IV | West Unity | Hilltop High School |
| Ms. Brooke Burich | Westlake | Westlake High School |
| Ms. Serena Kataria | Wheelersburg | Wheelersburg High School |
| Ms. Grace Braun | Xenia | Carroll High School |
| Ms. Taylor Greenaway | Youngstown | Boardman High School |
