The region’s brightest students came together at the Honda Heritage Center and Museum in Marysville, Ohio last week to be honored for their achievements. Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (HAM) hosted the annual 2017 Academic Achievement Breakfast on April 21.

More than 200 students from the region’s high schools, including Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, Indian Lake, Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, and Riverside, were honored for being the top achievers in their academic subjects, and heard an inspiring keynote from Chad Wilkinson, operations manager of V-Teck Communications, Inc. and a radio personality on WPKO in Bellefontaine.

Wilkinson shared his three tips for success:

“The number one thing you must have is belief. Belief in your school, belief in your job, and whatever you do,” he said. “The most important thing is to believe in yourself.”

Wilkinson’s other two tips were to have a sense of personal accountability and, “Hang out with successful people. Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

The breakfast, sponsored by HAM and NEX Transport, Inc., is coordinated by the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center in conjunction with area high school guidance counselors.

HAM associates Bobbie Trittschuh, assistant manager, Community Relations, and Bill Ramsey, senior staff engineer greeted and welcomed the students.

“We support this event each year as a way to emphasize the importance of education with students in our our backyard,” said Trittschuh. “It’s important to recognize these future leaders for their hard work and effort.”

Students were honored for being the top achievers in a range of academic subjects, from Statistics, to World History, to Instrumental Music.

“It’s a nice honor to be here,” said Jaelynn Butler, a junior at Bellefontaine High School. Butler’s principal, Dr. Pam Noeth, congratulated her saying, “She’s a very focused young lady.”