From February 13 to February 15, 2023, members of Lakeview’s Senior Beta Club attended the Ohio Beta State Convention in Columbus. Those in attendance were Seniors Kylie Schwartz, Izzi Petrilla, Ella Chadwick, and Lexi Garcia; Juniors Lily McCarthy, Abby Sulc, and Zoe Baker; and Sophomores Olivia Petrilla, Addie Nicholas, and Jalyn DeLeon. Additionally, Sophomore Tommy Pavlansky attended virtually. Unlike previous years, Lakeview rode a school bus with students from Chalker High School to Columbus, rather than a chartered bus.

The National Beta Club has more than 500,000 active members and 9,000 clubs nationally and internationally. It has become the nation’s largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization. The club promotes academic achievement, character, service and leadership among students. Members of Lakeview’s club have completed many community service activities throughout the year, including a sock drive, building beds for those in need, and more. 

The National Beta Ohio State Convention is an annual event that allows students the opportunity to compete in academic and STEM-based, virtual and performing arts competitions. The State Convention was offered as a hybrid event, giving students the opportunity to compete either virtually or onsite depending on their level of comfort. Pavlansky placed first in the math competition. Olivia Petrilla, Nicholas, and DeLeon placed 3rd in Engineering. Schwartz placed 2nd in Language Arts and Izzi Petrilla placed 1st in Biomedical Sciences. Furthermore, McCarthy placed first in Social Studies and Sulc placed second in Math. Victories at the state level provides an opportunity to compete at the national level. This year’s National Convention will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky during Summer 2023.

For many Beta members, attending the State Convention is one of their most treasured memories.

Chadwick explains, “Going to Beta Convention is one of my favorite events during the school year. It is so cool to see all the Ohio schools coming together for service projects and competitions. I also love spending time with my friends, which was extremely special this year since we will go our separate ways this fall.”

A majority of the members attending the convention were upperclassmen, and had experienced it before. However, there are always new memories to be made with so many options and people to interact with.

Sulc explained, “I did more activities because I wanted to get more involved. I participated in a different group which gave me a different experience. I put myself out there more to have a more enjoyable experience.”

Not only do the students get the opportunity to spend time with their own classmates, but they also make connections with scholars from all over the state who share similar passions for leadership and service. 

McCarthy reveals, “My favorite part of the convention is getting to hangout with different and new people from all over Ohio. I still talk to a lot of the people I hung out with at the last convention and there are people I look forward to seeing each year.”

For some, it was their first experience at the convention.

Olivia Petrilla explains,  “It was really fun and I learned a lot of new things including how to work better in a group. It was also so cool to see how many different options there were to compete in and that there are things for everyone. I’m definitely going back next year. I had a great time and made a lot of new friends from other schools. Overall it was a great experience!”

Attending the Ohio Beta State Convention is one of the most memorable and beneficial experiences. Students learn about leadership and service by collaborating with students from various different schools to gain new perspectives. The club is always looking for new members and the students cannot wait for next year’s convention.