TROY — The Miami County Bar Association is pleased to announce the award of its 2023 college scholarships of $1,500 each to five distinguished Miami County area graduating high school seniors.
Each February, the Scholarship Committee solicits scholarship applications from Miami County’s nine public high schools, Troy Christian High School and Lehman Catholic High School. Then the Committee evaluates the applications and personal statements of the student applicants to make its awards at its annual April meeting. This year the Committee met and made its selections on Friday, April 14, by Webex video conference.
This year’s first graduating high school senior $1,500 Bar Association Scholarship recipient is John David Brunner II (David) of Lehman Catholic High School. David is the son of John Brunner and Julie DeDomenic, of Sidney. At Lehman, David ranked first in his class with a 4.0 GPA while serving as a member of the National Honor Society, playing varsity baseball and basketball four years running, serving on Student Council, and competing in the Academia Quiz Bowl and Science Olympiad. In the Quiz Bowl competition, David helped his school’s team win the championship for the first time in 35 years. American Legion Post 217 also selected David as its candidate to Boys State. David accomplished all this while volunteering for his church, Holy Angels, and working as a landscaping specialist. This fall David plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
The association’s next $1,500 scholarship recipient is Estella Remley, a Covington High School graduating senior and the daughter of Mike and Amy Remley. Estella also ranked first in her class and carried a 4.0 GPA at Covington, and she is a member of the National Honor Society. Estella excelled academically while also playing volleyball and running track, serving as Class President for three years and on Student Council for four years, and participating in the Drama, SADD, Spanish and JOI Clubs. Estella also volunteered for numerous community non-profit events and worked at Panera Bread and Elias & Oliver. Estella plans to earn her degree at Ohio Northern University in preparation for a career in the pharmaceutical and healthcare business.
This year’s third $1,500 Bar Association Scholarship recipient is Eliza Zweizig, a graduating senior from Tippecanoe High School whose parents are Jon and Heather Zweizig, of Tipp City. At Tipp City, which does not rank its students, Eliza carried a weighted GPA of 4.60 and was inducted into the National Honor Society. Eliza also excelled in doubles tennis all four years and broke school records for Most Doubles Wins in a Season and in a Career, and this while participating in the Octagon, Interact and Foreign Language Clubs and earning an Associate of Science degree from Edison State Community College. Eliza also volunteered for the Toys for Tots and Tipp Community Blood Drives, as a middle school Tennis Camp volunteer and as a Student Leader for the Safe City Program. Eliza has committed to attending The Ohio State University to study Speech and Hearing Science.
Next is Thomas Schmiesing, also a graduating senior from Lehman Catholic High School and the son of Joseph and Erica Schmiesing. At Lehman, Thomas ranked second in his class, carried a perfect 4.0 GPA, and was a three-year member of the National Honor Society while competing on the varsity soccer and track and field teams. Thomas who is an accomplished singer also participated in the Limelighters A Cappella Varsity Choir and the Schola Cantorum Chapel Choir and performed leading roles in Lehman’s school musicals all four years. Thomas also participated in Student Council, the Pro-Lifeguards Pro-Life and Sketch Clubs, and Kairos religious retreats. This fall Thomas plans to pursue his degree in Sacred Music from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.
This year’s fifth and final $1,500 Bar Association Scholarship recipient is Libby Shaffer, a graduating senior from Covington High School and the daughter of Andy and Kate Shaffer, of Covington. Libby also carried a perfect 4.0 GPA at Covington and was a member of the National Honor Society as well as Student Council President. Libby was also an active participant in the OMEA’s Honor Choir and Solo and Ensemble Contests, the SADD, Drama, Key and Spanish Clubs, and the Hope Squad. Libby also won the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science, Honda-Ohio State STEM Scholarship and American Citizenship Awards. On top of this, Libby volunteered as an elementary and high school math tutor and for St. John’s Lutheran Church’s Vacation Bible School. Libby plans to pursue a degree in biochemistry at Ohio University.
The Miami County Bar Association extends its warmest congratulations to all five of its outstanding 2023 graduating high school senior Bar Association Scholarship recipients.
