More than 60 Westerville South High School students were recognized as “Cats with Class,” a long-standing WSHS tradition that honors students who demonstrate kindness and good school citizenship.
The program, which dates back to the 1990s, returned to a larger ceremony on Wednesday where students and families gathered for breakfast and remarks from WSHS alum and a Cats with Class recipient Leah Coleman.
“What does Cat with Class mean to me?” Coleman said to honorees, family members and staff members during Wednesday’s event. “It means to encourage yourselves not to belong to one group. Encourage yourselves to talk to other students you’ve never talked to before because you never know, you may be missing out on your best friend.”
“It’s all right not to know or do or come about it, but let it be an experience you have at South. Let it be a lesson — whether it’s encouraging words from your teachers or pick-me-ups from your classmates. Know that you belong and the space you fill means more than you know.”
Coleman, a 2010 graduate, competed on the track team, performed in the orchestra and served as a graphic designer for several Wildcat teams. She earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Miami University and her master in fine arts degree from Ohio State University. She is currently an animator whose recent projects include the 2021 release, Space Jam: A New Legacy with LeBron James.
The Cats with Class program is jointly sponsored by WSHS and the Academic Boosters. Students can only win it once during their time at WSHS. In addition to a certificate, recipients received a Cats with Class T-shirt, treats and letters written by their nominating teachers.