Gonsalves named ‘Student of the Year’; other Career Center seniors, alumni honored

MOUNT VERNON – Mya Gonsalves had a lot of chords.

She carried so many around her neck Thursday, during the Knox County Career Center’s senior awards ceremony, that she had to concentrate on keeping them straight as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma.

They represented four years of hard work at the Career Center and East Knox High School. She was a math, science, English and social studies honors student, and earned honors diplomas at both schools.

But after Thursday’s ceremony, what left Gonsalves speechless was the golden medal hanging around her neck.

“Student of the Year,” it read.

“It’s crazy,” she said, trying to process the moment.

Gonsalves received the Career Center’s most prestigious honor that night after being selected from a list of 18 candidates. Each candidate went through an interview process after being nominated by their lab instructor. They represented the top students in each of the Career Center’s two-year programs.

Gonsalves, a culinary arts student, said she was shocked to hear her name called.

“Amazing,” she said. “It was insane.”

Of all her accomplishments at East Knox and the Career Center, Gonsalves’ proudest occurred last summer, when she led a team of KCCC culinary arts students to the FCCLA National Culinary Competition in Atlanta. The group placed third in the nation.

The achievement motivated Gonsalves to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a chef. She’ll attend Columbus State University in the fall to continue her culinary arts education, and she thanked the Career Center staff on Thursday for encouraging her to chase her dreams.

“I’ve always wanted to be a chef. Since I was a little kid, I’ve always loved being in the kitchen, and I kind of just wanted to validate that’s what I wanted to do. And since I’ve gotten here, I’ve just loved it even more,” Gonsalves said.

“The teachers were outstanding. They always put others before themselves and I think that’s really important. They care so much about their students and they make sure, individually, we’re all on track. And I feel like that’s awesome because sometimes you don’t get that one-on-one connection, but I had that with all of my teachers.”

While developing her culinary passion at the Career Center, Gonsalves also played varsity volleyball and softball at East Knox. She’s currently involved in 4-H and routinely works at Kenyon College as a prep cook.

As a high school student, Gonsalves never lacked motivation. She said winning ‘Student of the Year’ will only add fuel to the fire.

“It makes me want to push even harder at what I want to do, and I feel like this was just a step to the big future, the big thing,” Gonsalves said. “I just want to keep going. It’s definitely motivated me.”

Gonsalves was one of many Career Center students, faculty and alumni who were honored at Thursday’s graduation ceremony. The Class of 2019 earned over $200,000 and volunteered more than 3,800 hours in advanced placement work experiences, Career Center Director Jeff Lavin said. The class also collectively earned over $868,000 in scholarships, which were announced during the ceremony.

“I loved watching you grow more confident as each year goes by,” superintendent Kathy Greenich told the graduates. “I know learning new things is always intimidating. Just think about how many things you’ve learned since the first day you came to the Career Center, and it was all in such a short time. You’ve learned a whole new language about the program that you are in.”

Nikki Sherbahn, a 2011 Danville High School and Knox County Career Center graduate, was the recipient of this year’s Sam Hankinson Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Sherbahn graduated from the business finance academy at KCCC and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in management from Otterbein University. She now lives in Columbus and supports a region in DHL’s human resources division, traveling internationally for consultation work.

Sherbahn told her story to this year’s graduates. When she came to the Career Center 10 years ago, as a junior at Danville High School, Sherbahn said she was “angry, frustrated, confused and alone.” But over the next two years, she began to find her purpose.

“I slowly started to learn who I wanted to become in this world,” Sherbahn said. “Here, I learned how to work hard. I learned how to apply my energy for good causes. And I learned how to ask the right questions.”

Sherbahn thanked the Career Center for the award, and said she still considers the faculty and staff there her “village.”

“They say it takes a village when raising a child, but I think that’s true not just in raising children, but in raising adults,” Sherbahn said.

“Thank you, Knox County Career Center, for this honor. You were, and still are, my village.”

Just as Thursday was an emotional occasion for Sherbahn, the same could be said for Career Center Principal John Feltman.

Feltman plans to retire at the end of the school year, wrapping up a 15-year career at the KCCC and a 43-year career in education. He received a standing ovation Thursday after being recognized by Greenich, who said Feltman’s “positive attitude and his belief in education, paired with his love for students, have proven to be a very successful combination.”

Feltman struggled to find the words to describe how he felt after his final senior awards ceremony ended.

“Overwhelming. Bittersweet,” the nine-year principal said after a long pause. “I love what I’m doing, I’m going to miss the kids. I’ve been doing it 43 years and I guess it’s good to go out when it’s good, instead of when they want to shove you out. But I thrive on this – it’s been my life – and I’m going to miss it.”

Feltman said he is looking forward to retirement; he and his wife have plans to travel and “slow the pace down.”

Feltman spent his first 28 years at Mount Vernon Academy before teaching career-based intervention at East Knox High School, on behalf of the Career Center. He became the school’s principal a few years later and has been in charge of student services ever since.

After 15 years with the Career Center, Feltman said his favorite part about the job has been watching students find their passion.

“To see these kids excel is amazing,” he said. “They come to us really unsure, especially as sophomores, of what they want to do. They go through some of our sophomore programs. By the time they become a senior, they have learned a skill. It’s amazing how much they mature in just two years, three years. Be patient with them because they’re going to get there, that’s the lesson I’ve learned.”

As Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s R.R. Hodges Chapel emptied out, Feltman reflected back on all the people he’d worked with at the Career Center. He complimented his administrative team and the teachers who pour their lives into the educational process.

He looked around and cleared his throat.

“Greatest school on earth,” Feltman said, “I’ll tell you that.”

Scholarship winners

• Makayla Haxton – $2,500 from American Red Cross (presented by Becky Glass)
• Madison Neale – $500 from the Knox County Board of Realtors (presented by Chris Harmon)
• Madison Rine – recipient of Norman James Lower Memorial Scholarship (presented by Loretta and James Lower)
• Madison Rine – $1,000 from Mount Vernon Rotary Club (presented by Steve Larcomb)
• Matthew Arnold, Kasey Ackert, Ashley Stacy, Alan Waite – $10,000 each from North Central State College (presented by April Gregory)
• Garrett Carroll – $1,000 from the Ohio State University Alumni Club of Knox County (presented by Janet Boone)
• Amaya Copeland – recipient of Helen Wilson Memorial Scholarship
• Joshua Fetty – recipient of Donald Griffing Award
• Elizabeth Pack – recipient of James Spadafore Award