Dear Strongsville Board of Education:
I am writing this letter as a reflection upon my thirteen years of education from the Strongsville City Schools, but most notably the last four I received from Strongsville High School. I am a proud 2006 graduate from Strongsville High School. At Strongsville High School I was both academically and athletically involved having played three years of golf and four years of baseball. I am a proud member and captain of the 2006 Division I State Championship baseball team. The education I received both in the classroom and on the ball field prepared me for a successful college career, and laid the foundation for a successful professional career. The college preparatory curriculum taught at Strongsville High School allowed for an easy transition to the demanding courses I encountered at Baldwin-Wallace College. At Strongsville High School I was taught the proper way to write letters and research papers, how to effectively give presentations, and efficiently manage my time given the workload and extracurricular activities I was involved in.
Being a college athlete, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the constant school work and practice demands, but I was thoroughly prepared for the challenges thanks to my Strongsville education. I am an accounting and finance major working towards my MBA in accounting, all of which I will receive this coming spring. At Strongsville High School, I was able to take entry level accounting and finance courses which laid the foundation for the courses I took at Baldwin-Wallace. In my first accounting classes, I was one of the few students who had prior accounting education and was at a distinct advantage over my peers.
The most important asset at Strongsville High School isn’t the curriculum though; it is the talented and dedicated educators who work tirelessly to push all students to reach their potential in life. I write this letter today as a former student touched by the hard work and belief the teachers of Strongsville High School had in me. My teachers pushed me to be prepared for college and to reach the potential they knew I had. With their encouragement and care I was able to go on to Baldwin-Wallace College where I have been a Dean’s List Scholar for four years, a member of multiple honors societies, captain for the baseball team, and have signed a contract to work for the respected Big-Four accounting firm Ernst & Young. The foundation for my success occurred at Strongsville High School where I cannot thank my teachers and mentors enough for their dedication and belief in me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the quality of education I received in Strongsville and know I would not be in the position I currently am to succeed without it.
Thank you,
Justin Novak
