Claymont Foundation to recognize alumni and teacher of the year at awards ceremony

UHRICHSVILLE ‒ The Claymont Foundation will honor its 2024 Alumni Award winners and the 2024 Teacher of the Year at its awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. May 11 at the Claymont High School Auditeria in Uhrichsville.

In addition, the organization will recognize the classroom and building grant award winners and the 2024-25 scholarship recipients. Earlier in the school year, $28,001 was awarded for classroom and building grants. Scholarships totaling $166,690 will be awarded to current high school seniors, current collegiate students and Buckeye Career Center students.

More Claymont news: $4M in grants will fund addition of health centers at Tuscarawas Valley and Claymont

The foundation will also present a special award for courageous conduct to Claymont 2007 graduate Stephen Tripp for his role in assisting the Tuscarawas Valley music students during the devastating bus crash last fall.

The people being honored include:

Distinguished Alumnus Award ‒ Nichole Bache, a 2000 Claymont graduate and a 2004 graduate of Walsh University. She has been the director of nursing at the New Philadelphia City Health Department for 17 years. Bache has taken an interest in addiction issues and is involved in the Tuscarawas County Addiction Task Force. She was appointed as a sitting member to the OneOhio Region 11 Board. She is the lay pastor at Roxford Methodist Church, where she serves on church council and is active in youth ministry.

Alumnus Achievement Award ‒ Judge James J. Ong, a 1989 Claymont graduate. He is a 1993 graduate of Hiram College and received a degree in 1997 from the University of Akron ‒ School of Law. Ong is serving as judge of Tuscarawas County Southern District Court. He is a partner in the Uhrichsville law firm of Connolly, Hillyer & Ong, Inc. He previously served as Uhrichsville law director, Dennison solicitor and Mill Township fiscal officer. He is a public address announcer for Claymont Mustangs football and served as scoreboard operator for Claymont Mustangs basketball for more than 20 years. He is the coach of the Claymont Mock Trial team and helped the 2024 team advance to state competition.

Citizen of the Year ‒ Mic Maple, a 1996 Claymont graduate. He is employed at Stepping Stone Residential Facility where they provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities. He has served as a manager for the past 23 years and has been with the company for more than 27. Maple’s most notable recent contribution to his community is his involvement with the newly created Mustang Pride Media organization and YouTube channel. He was the creator of the live stream production which provides free streaming for many of the events that take place in the Claymont School District.

Alumnus of the Year ‒ Lisa Donato Eschbacher, a 1987 Claymont graduate. She is a 1991 graduate of Otterbein University and a 1998 graduate of University of Akron School of Law. Eschbacher is the chief legal counsel and adviser to the executive director and members of the Ohio Board of Nursing. She served as the chief legal adviser to the director of health and agency leadership for the Ohio Department of Health, as a senior assistant attorney general for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Summit County.

Teacher of the Year ‒ Jill Wagner, a 1974 Claymont graduate. She received her bachelor’s degree from Ashland College and her master’s from Ashland University. Wagner is a seventh and eighth grade English Language Arts teacher at Claymont Junior High School. She began at Claymont as a substitute teacher and got her first full time position by splitting her teaching time between St. Mary’s and Claymont Middle School. She has been in her current position for more than 20 years. She has also served as junior high cheerleading adviser and as the adviser of the middle school yearbook students and student council members. This is her 41st year of teaching.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Claymont Foundation to recognize alumni and teacher of the year