Opportunities abound at expo held at SSCC; event connected students with disabilities with resources for life beyond high school
Pictured at the 2026 Five-County Student transition Expo are (l-r) students Daniel Bentley and Peyton Grate, teacher Tyler Carman, student Gavin Watson, aide Bruce Barnhart, students Johnny Brown, Makenna Bentley (kneeling), Braydon Merritt, Thomas Matz, Andrew Rhoads, and Anderson McCune, aide Karla Free, student Marshal Seymour, and aide Dyana Mtcastle. (Photos provided by Heather Dratwa)
By Angela Shepherd
GEVS
An opportunity to explore what lies beyond high school was held in early March for students with disabilities.
It’s an annual event called the 5-County Transition Student Expo and it brings together students with disabilities from Highland, Adams, Brown, Clinton, and Fayette counties with employers and valuable resources to provide connections as students prepare for future careers.
According to information provided by Heather Dratwa, special programs director at the Greenfield Exempted Village School District, students were grouped into teams and through that team assignment, experienced a schedule for the day that included learning about various employment topics in the auditorium and engaging with a host of employers and resources. In all, 220 students participated in the event.
Businesses and organizations participating included UC Clermont College, Southern State Community College, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections, Laurel Oaks / Career X, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), CVS Health, Great Wolf Lodge – Mason, Kroger, Ohio Means Jobs – Adams and Brown Counties, Hearing Speech and Deaf Center, Air Transport Services Group, Inc., Highland County Ohio Means Jobs, Huhtamaki, Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District, Wilmington College, Shawnee State University, Staffmark, Ohio Living - Cape May, LCD Agency Services, Talbert House, Reach Me, Elite Welding Academy, GE Aerospace, Crown Staffing, Rural King, Queen Beanery, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The event was hosted by the Region 14 Transition Council, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, and Southern State Community College.
To find out more about available resources, search Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities on the Ohio.gov website.
There are always great things happening in the Greenfield Exempted Village School District. To stay informed, you can check out the district website at greenfield.k12.oh.us or go to the district’s social media pages. The individual buildings also have Facebook pages.
Pictured below in the auditorium at Southern State in Hillsboro the first row (l-r) are aide Dyana Mtcastle, and students Thomas Matz, Peyton Grate, Daniel Bentley, Johnny Brown, and Marshal Seymour. In the second row are students Braydon Merritt, Anderson McCune, and Makenna Bentley with aides Bruce Barnhart and Karla Free.
Students (closest to farthest) Anderson McCune, Thomas Matz, Daniel Bentley, and Johnny Brown check out exhibitors at the 5-County Student Transition Expo held in March in Hillsboro.
