Kenton Elks honors students for April

The Kenton Elks recently honored its Students of the Month for April from Hardin County Schools.

Ada

Alex Gibson is the daughter of Chuck and Carrie Gibson of Belle Center and a senior at Ada High School. After graduation she plans to attend Mount Saint Joseph University and study conservation biology while playing soccer on the university’s team.

Her work experience includes doing summer prep for the Ready Set Grow Preschool/Busy Bee Preschool 2022-2025. She also worked for a goat farm in Bellefontaine in 2025.

For community service, Alex painted/redid part of the local preschool (2025), community cleanup (2024-2025), participated in community garage sale (2025) and helped coach youth soccer teams/camps in Ada and around Ohio (2020-2025).

Her school involvement includes varsity soccer 10-12, Quiz Bowl, academic letter, Book club (9-12), Language Club (10-12), Sustainability Club, Sources of Strength, National Honor Society and Film Club (10-12).

Outside of school, Alex played club soccer for 12 years, spending four years showing goals in 4-H and had art projects entered in the fair for three years.

Her leadership roles included vice president of Sustainability Club (2024-2025), varsity soccer captain (2023-2025), club soccer captain (2023-2025) and coaching little league soccer teams.

Cayden Wise is the son of Jessica Wise and Raymond Wise of Ada and a senior at Ada High School. After graduation he plans to enter college and major in criminal justice to become a crime scene investigator.

He has worked part-time at McDonald’s since May 2023 (freshman to senior) and he currently works at the establishment.

For community service, Cayden volunteer to help with the Hardin County Fair cleanup for three years through the Ada FFA Chapter. He also has volunteered to help with concessions for football, basketball and soccer games, and worked at the lamb booth at the fair.

His school involvement has included Ada Varsity Singers as a singer-dancer in grades 10-12, Ada FFA 9-12, marching band-color guard,  concert band and tennis 11-12, Film Club 9-12, Sustainability Club, Drama Club and Quiz bowl and National Honor Society 11-12.

Outside of school Cayden has worked at Lewis Family McDonald’s in Ada for 3 1/2 years.

His leadership roles include student advisor officer for Ada FFA in his senior year and secretary for the Sustainability Club his junior year. He also is secretary of the student council for his senior year at Ada High School.

Hardin Northern

Alexis Oakley is the daughter of Bree Stauffer and Ryan Trachsel of Dunkirk and a junior at Hardin Northern High School. After graduation she plans to attend college to pursue a degree in early childhood education.

Her work experience included Viva Maria’s and baby-sitting.

In the community, Alexis has been involved in Hardin County Fair recycling, 2023-2025; building picnic tables for the football stadium, 2025; prepare and sort fruit, and prepare and sort chicken meals for the HN ag department from 2023-present.

School involvement has included HN varsity volleyball, HN varsity football cheer, HN FFA chapter, HN FCCLA, all 9-12.

Outside of school, Alexis has been involved in C2K Club Volleyball for four years, OAC Club Volleyball for one year and Blanchard Pleasant Buckeyes for two years.

Her leadership roles have included sophomore leadership representative, FCCLA reporter and vice president, FFA reporter, varsity volleyball captain, 2025; varsity football cheer captain, 2025; and varsity basketball cheer captain, 2024.

Brady Robey is the son of Lisa Paugh and Taylor Robey of Dunkirk and a senior at Hardin Northern High School.

His work experience has included working the summers at a golf course, detassle corn and helped his step-dad deliver bread.

In the community, Brady has participated in community services days and school clean-up days.

His school involvement has included baseball (2023-2026) and football (2024-2026), as well as taking calculus, Spanish and personal finance for college credits.

Brady said being a leader is a big thing with not having a lot of seniors for sports leadership. He said he steps up to be a leader.

Kenton

Kiyah Howe is the daughter of Jason and Elizabeth Howe of Kenton and a senior at Kenton High School. After graduation she plans on attending the University of Findlay to become an occupational therapist.

Her work experience includes three years as a lifeguard at the Hardin County Family YMCA and three years as a swim lesson instructor. She also works as a lifeguard for the City of Kenton.

For community service, Kiyah has helped set up and tear down for swim meets for 13 years, helps set up and tear down her 4-H booth at the Hardin County Fair for five years, was a timer for the middle school swim team for four years.

Her school involvement includes swim team, track and golf (9-12), cross country (9-10), soccer (11-12), Kenton High School Marching and Concert Band (9-12), Positive Peer Advocates (10-12), FFA (9-12) and National Honor Society (11-12).

Kiyah’s non-school involvement has included being an active leader in the Hardin Highliters 4-H Club (12 years) and being secretary and recreation officer; swim coach for the Kenton Area Swim Team (three years); and coach for the Hardin County Sea Dragons (two years).

Her leadership roles have included captain of the golf, swim and track teams; coach for the Hardin County Swim Team and Kenton Area Swim Team (four years), head lifeguard at the Kenton City Pool and section leader for the Kenton Marching Band (three years).

Gatlin Davis is the son of Nate Davis of Kenton and a senior at Kenton High School. After graduation he plans on attending the University of Cincinnati or Ohio University to major in environmental sciences.

His work experience has included assistant lighting designer Epiphany Players (June 2025), En Lai (January 2025-present) and Kenton Municipal lifeguard (summer of 2024).

In the community, Gatlin is a 4-H camp counselor (2024-present) and does lighting for the Hardin County Players.

His school involvement includes swim team and track (9-12), lighting designer (9-12), BPA (9-12) and National Torch Award Winner (11), cross country (9-10), soccer (11-12).

Outside of school, Gatlin has been in 4-H 9 years and Kenton Area Summer Swim Team (12 years),

His leadership roles include swim team captain (11,12), 4-H camp counselor (10-12) and stage manager (11-12).

Ridgemont

Olivia Newland is the daughter of Craig and Cristy Newland of Ridgeway and a senior at Ridgemont High School. After graduation she plans to take a gap year to obtain her firefighting certifications and then attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice to major in emergency services management in hopes to become an arson investigator.

Her work experience includes being employed at the Hi-Road Drive-In from 2023-2026.

In the community, Olivia has been a volunteer firefighter cadet at the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department from January of 2025 to the present. She has served on the Hardin County Junior Fair Board and been a 4-H camp counselor.

Her school involvement has included volleyball (9-12), indoor and outdoor track (9-12), basketball cheer (9-12), pep band (9-12), marching band (10-12), quiz bowl (9-12), Company R (9-12), school musical (9-12), FFA (9-10), 4-H camp counselor (11-12).

Outside of school, Olivia has been a member of 4-H (nine years), a youth group member (one year), Lima Area Youth Orchestra (one year) and church piano player (one year).

Her leadership skills have included being a FFA group leader, Quiz Bowl co-captain (12), Hardin County Fair Queen (12), band vice president (11), Junior Fair Board committee chair (12) and a 4-H camp counselor (11,12).

Harrison Reppart is the son of Patricia Reppart of Kenton and a senior at Ridgemont High School. After graduation he plans to get his degree in education to become a junior high or high school math teacher.

His work experience includes being a cart kid at Memorial Park Golf Course from 2023 to 2025 and working at the Kenton Theater since he was about age 13.

In the community, Harrison said he did a lot of community service during his years in FFA. Now he volunteers through the National Honor Society.

His school involvement includes playing golf for three years and basketball for four years, FFA for three years and National Honor Society for two years.

Outside of school, Harrison attends the Kenton Church of the Nazarene and has played travel basketball since fourth grade.

He has been in a leadership group for two years and has been captain on the basketball team in his junior and senior years.