SOLON, Ohio – Solon students are showing off their talents on state and national stages this spring, from winning big in engineering and math to earning honors in language competitions. It’s been a season of success, and the district is also looking to welcome its next generation of learners with openings in its preschool program.
Here’s a look at what’s happening across Solon Schools:
Solon Excel TECC students take gold and head to nationals
Three Solon High School students will represent Ohio at the SkillsUSA National Championships this June after striking gold at the state level. Henry Mellon and Jacob Niedzialek won top honors in CADD-engineering technology and design, while Alexander Perlberg took first place in the fire/EMS job interview category.
They’ll compete June 23-28 in Atlanta, joining the top 1% of career and technical education students nationwide. Other Solon students earned top 10 finishes: Anthony Borton in CADD/promotional bulletin board, and med tech students Aminata Goudiaby, Sal Miller and Jalaya Sinclair in the health knowledge bowl.
“We are so proud of these students and their achievements,” Superintendent Fred Bolden said. “They’ve shown the power of career technical education in preparing for success.”
SkillsUSA Ohio, held in Columbus, is the second-largest competition of its kind in the nation with more than 4,000 participants. Excel TECC Director Nate Bishko said Solon sent its largest group of qualifiers ever this year.
MathCounts magic: Solon Middle School wins third straight state title
For the third year in a row, the Solon Middle School MathCounts team has claimed the state championship. The team dominated at the state competition in Columbus, taking five of the top 16 spots among 188 finalists.
Eighth graders Andy Mo and Archishman Dey placed second and third overall, earning spots on the Ohio team headed to the national competition in Washington, D.C., in May.
“These students have worked incredibly hard, and it shows,” coach Kendall Daulton said. “Three straight state titles is an amazing accomplishment.”
The team also included eighth graders Louis Gao and Louis Zhang, seventh graders Nicole Bao, Aarush Sahoo, Aayush Sahoo, Davin Shao, Daniel Xiong, Ted Zeng, and sixth grader Ellie Kim from Orchard Middle School. High school mentors Emir Naduvil and Gabriel Xiong provided guidance throughout the season.
Solon students earn national recognition in Chinese speech contest
Three Solon students earned honors in the National Chinese Speech Contest, hosted by the American Academy of International Culture and Education.
Freshman Evelyn Jin won second place in the high school heritage group, junior Jacob Khaykin took third in the world language group, and eighth grader Tejas Chatterjee received an honorable mention in the grades 6-8 world language group. Tejas is the first Solon Middle School student to compete in the national event.
“These results show the strength of our language programs and the dedication of our students,” Bolden said.
The contest began in January with nearly 1,000 students participating nationwide.
Preschool peers wanted at Regano Early Learning Center
Solon’s Regano Early Learning Center is now accepting applications for peer models, ages 3 to 5, for the 2025-26 school year. The inclusive, 5-Star Step Up to Quality preschool offers a supportive, play-based environment where children learn alongside peers with and without special needs.
Classes run Monday through Thursday, with morning sessions from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and afternoon sessions from noon to 2:30 p.m.
To qualify, children must turn 3 by March 1, 2025, be potty trained, follow directions, play well with others, speak and understand English, and have basic self-help skills.