Evergreen High School is excited to announce Ella Smola, grade 11, as one of 16 Ohio high school students named to Governor Mike DeWine’s Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council.
The students named to the advisory council will work with the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) to identify school safety concerns and come up with solutions to address them.
“Safety is more than just a fire drill,” Ella says. “School safety is the sense of comfort in a place that is a second home for students.”
“It is an atmosphere where students feel comfortable to learn, grow, and express themselves freely without fear of bullying, harassment or violence.”
“The reason I applied to the advisory council is because I want to help make students feel secure in school where we spend our time learning and participating in activities,” she added.
DeWine says one of the advisory council’s main goals is to involve students in policy making because they know better than anyone what is happening at school.
These students will work directly with OSSC school safety liaisons to organize events, focus groups, and trainings to help highlight student success and safety best practices throughout the state.
These members will also act as a sounding board for the Ohio School Safety Working Group and OSSC on student marketing campaigns and other projects to ensure that student voices are represented.
“I am looking forward to connecting with students from all over Ohio who also care about school safety and making our schools a place where everyone feels at home and accepted”, Ella explains.
Ella and the other advisory council members were invited to attend the in-person Ohio School Safety Summit in late July at the Columbus Convention Center to meet Governor DeWine, network with their peers, and attend initial informational sessions on violence prevention strategies.
“After attending the Summit, I have so many ideas and I am looking forward to being able to help maintain a safe environment and serve as an advocate not only for my Evergreen Local Schools family, but for students across the state of Ohio as well,” says Ella.
In fact, she has already met with Evergreen’s School Resource Officer (SRO), Fulton County Deputy Kathy Zumfelde, and the high school’s counselor to begin planning school safety initiatives to be implemented throughout the school year.
At Evergreen High School, Ella is a member of the student council, president of the Class of 2025, a member of the track team, Art Club, World Languages Club, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Her future goal is to continue serving as an advocate in the role of a lawyer one day. She is the daughter of Michele and Eric Smola.