ASHLAND – Signing day is not just for athletes anymore.
Ashland High School made history Tuesday by holding its first college signing event for an art student, Sierra Beugly.
The 18-year-old senior signed a letter of intent to attend Ohio Wesleyan University, where she earned a scholarship to study Art Education.
The idea for the signing event came from Beugly’s art teacher, Cameron Dedrick, who heard about the concept at an Ohio Art Education Association conference.
“We focus on athletics, and with due cause, but it’s nice to be able to focus on her accomplishments too,” Dedrick said. “Her academics and the fact that she’s getting in on scholarship, but also that she’s becoming an art teacher.”
Ohio Wesleyan Assistant Director of Admission Najla Cree Whitehead said while it’s unusual for schools to ask the university to take part in such a signing event, she jumped at the chance.
“I thought this was a great way for a school to celebrate a student, so we just wanted to come down and show our support,” she said.
Addressing the small crowd of students, staff and administrators at the signing event, Whitesaid said she is very pleased that Sierra has decided to join the school’s freshman class for fall 2019.
“Congratulations, and we all believe you’ll continue to do great work within your community here and as a Battling Bishop at OWU,” Whitehead told Beugly.
For Beugly, the influence of strong educators was one of the most important factors in the decision of where to attend college and what to study.
Beugly said she was inspired by Dedrick, who was her teacher in both elementary and high school, to follow in his footsteps as a fine arts educator. Then during her college visit at OWU, she connected with a professor in the fine art department who showed her around and told her everything she needed to know about the school and the program.
Beugly looks forward to having that kind of impact on her own students one day, and she’ll be one step closer this fall when she starts at OWU.
