It was a picture perfect day for the Indian Lake High School Class of 2023 to step into the future.
ILHS recently held Commencement Ceremonies in front of a packed house in Laker Stadium.
ACRT Chief Operating Officer and 1993 Indian Lake graduate Troy Ross was the commencement speaker. He shared his keys to success and detailed some of his own heartaches, failures and risks taken along the way.
Ross said, "I left a job at Honda making $12 per hour in 1999 to move to Tennessee for a job making $9. I bet on myself and it paid off. 24 years later I run all of the company's operations and I met my wife in Tennessee. We have raised a beautiful family. Where would I be if I hadn't taken that opportunity?"
Class President Paige Mefford took the seniors down memory lane, recounting the years affected by Covid-19 and recalling several favorite memories from their time together. She said, "We powered through!"
Before each member of the class received their diploma, the Top 10 scholars were announced.
They are: (10) Megan Kimbler, (9) Paige Mefford, (8) Gavin Lones, (7) Chad Minnich, (6-Salutatorian) Grace Pequignot, (1-Valedictorian) Sierra DeWeese, (1-Valedictorian) Heidi Hoffman, (1-Valedictorian) Allison Kinney, (1-Valedictorian) Marah Reames and (1-Valedictorian) Regan Ross.
Once the ceremony was complete, the graduates threw their caps in the air and posed for pictures with family and friends.
Congratulations ILHS Class of 2023!!
Watch the ceremony.
The ILHS 2023 Commencement Ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 21st at 2 pm at Laker Stadium. There is no limit on the number of family members who may attend this exciting event.
Currently the forecast looks favorable for an outdoor ceremony. However, in case of inclement weather, we will move Graduation into the ILHS Main Gym.
The commencement speaker will be 1993 ILHS Graduate Troy Ross. (See biography below)
We very much look forward to welcoming our Class of 2023 family and friends and celebrating the many accomplishments of our Indian Lake Seniors!
A few notes on Graduation...
**If you plan to attend, please dress for the weather. We will only move to the ILHS Main Gym in case of storms.
**Laker Stadium will open at 1:00 pm.
**Baccalaureate is at 1 pm in the Auditorium.
**Please bring water to stay hydrated.
**Graduates must be dressed and in their seats in the Aux Gym at 1:45 pm.
**Commencement ceremonies will be videotaped and posted for viewing the next day.
Troy Ross graduated from Indian Lake in 1993 and then went to Bowling Green University and soon transferred to Hocking College where he graduated with an Associate’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Ranger services in 1998. Later, in 2013, he received a B.S. in Organizational Leadership from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. In 2020, he completed a Master of Business Administration degree with a Project Management Specialization from Ashland University. Following his education Ross moved to Tennessee and began working for ACRT, an independent national vegetation management consulting firm, as a Utility Forester. He has worked many different positions within the company including Lead forester, Operations Manager, Senior Operations Manager, Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations, President of ACRT, ACRT Services Executive President of Operations, and Chief Operations Officer of ACRT Services, as well as serving on the Board of Directors of ACRT and Director of the Utility Arborist Association. He has presented at several trade shows and has published several articles in trade manuals, journals, and magazines. He has devoted 24 years to ACRT and has moved from management to executive leadership within the company. He has received credentials through the International Society of Arborists (ISA) to become a Certified Arborist Utility Specialist where he has traveled to 46 different states consulting with utilities to help them deliver safe and reliable power at low costs. He has helped with many restorations’ events after hurricane Katrina as well as wildfires out west and many other natural disasters. In 2017 he moved back to Ohio to work out of the corporate office in Akron. He is currently the Chief Operation Officer at ACRT and oversees operations of five different companies that make up the ACRT Services family and its 1600 employees.
Ross met his wife, Tabitha Crain Ross in Tennessee in 1999 and has been married to her since 2001. They have two daughters, Allison who is 19, a freshman at The Ohio State University and Selena who is 15, a freshman at Clear Fork High School. Allison is part of the scholars program at OSU and is majoring in Medical Laboratory Science. Selena is in the band and drama program at Clear Fork and plans to attend Ohio University and study Archeology. In his free time Ross loves the outdoors. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, boater and he loves to hike. He spends a lot of his time with family, attending their events and going to concerts. He enjoys cheering on the Buckeyes, Bengals and the Reds.