Cleveland area siblings Named Valedictorian and Salutatorian

(CLEVELAND, OH) -- David Pellot, of Cleveland, was recently named the valedictorian for Ohio Connections Academy’s Class of 2024 for having the highest academic achievement among the graduating class. Coincidently, his twin sister, Delicia, was named the online school’s salutatorian for ranking the second highest among this year’s senior class.

Both students will be joining their fellow graduates, faculty, families, and friends during Ohio Connections Academy’s commencement ceremony on June 8th at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.

“The faculty, staff and members of the board at Ohio Connections Academy are honored to recognize David and Delicia for their excellence and leadership in the classroom,” said Ohio Connections Academy Superintendent Marie Hanna. “Our students come to us from many different backgrounds and with many different individual needs. It gives us great pride to recognize of our graduates with a traditional, in-person ceremony, and their determination to reach this academic milestone.”

David and Delicia have been attending Ohio Connections Academy since 2020. According to their mother, Elizabeth, they chose the online school to be in a more consistent learning environment during the pandemic. She said that both David and Delicia appreciated and took advantage of the schedule flexibility that the school offered to take college courses through the College Credit Plus Program.

David is expected to earn his associate degree in Bioengineering from Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) this summer after he finishes an internship at the Cleveland Clinic for Bio-Medical Engineering. Delicia received an associate degree in English earlier this month and will continue working towards a Bachelor of Arts in English at Cleveland State University.

As class valedictorian David will address his fellow graduates during the commencement ceremony and said he wants to encourage the class of 2024 to celebrate all they have achieved, remember the people who have supported them along the way, and look forward with optimism and hope.

“Each of us have gone through different struggles to get to this point and we’ve grown from our experiences for the last few years,” David said. “The changes we’ve experienced have made us strong and courageous. Change is not only what makes us human, but it’s what makes us better people.”

Virtual school is a great fit for a variety of students and each student is unique. Those who attend Ohio Connections Academy come from different backgrounds and choose full-time online school for various reasons. Some students prefer to take ownership of their education and benefit from the flexibility that virtual school offers, while others are looking for a consistent, safe learning environment.

For more information about Ohio Connections Academy or to begin the enrollment process, please visit www.OhioConnectionsAcademy.com or call (800) 382-6010.