42Fifty

State-wide testing has never failed to stress out students. Even with in-class preparation and support, some feel unprepared, may not care about it, or feel unmotivated to do well. It’s a tale as old as time, being confused about what’s going to occur on the day-of. OH ACT Prep teacher Thomas Hart is determined for all of his students to feel well prepared, motivated, and capable of their abilities to thrive during the test. “We start the semester with a base line of practice tests. We also have a textbook where we’ve done a lot of practice sets because that’s really what we’re trying to focus on” said Hart.

Earthmover Credit Union recently named lifelong Oswego resident and OH alum Janel Cabadas as their new CEO, after 20 years building her career at the credit union. She served as Vice President of Marketing & Business Development for over seven years before becoming Executive Vice President in 2024. “I don’t think there was a single role that prepared me for this position," Cabadas said. "Instead, it was a cumulative set of experiences that ultimately made me feel ready.” “Some impactful moments that pushed me outside my comfort zone and still stand out in my memory include hiring my first employee, managing someone I didn’t hire, holding my first strategic session, getting a new boss, and leading my first company‑wide initiative. Each of these moments required me to lead, communicate clearly, and follow through. It truly takes time and experience.”

In common news coverage, more focus is placed on the Presidential elections every four years than any representation of local elections and the candidates running for local office, much less primaries. However, voting in a local election actually ends up having more local impact than a national election. “This will be my first time voting, so I am excited,” said OH senior Hassan Lawal. “It is important now for young people to vote because we are the future, [and] it’s important to vote in local elections because those are elections that impact you most.” Local elections, and primaries, which determine which people end up on each party’s ballot in November, are just as important as the bigger national and presidential elections, but they are often less well-advertised, and as a result have lower voter turnout.