Toledo, Ohio – Toledo Public Schools (TPS) held its annual Celebration of Excellence Dinner on Tuesday, recognizing the district’s top students and scholarship recipients from the class of 2025. This year’s event came with a unique and heartwarming surprise for two deserving seniors.
Jermel Bolden, a senior from Waite High School, and Nathan Sadowski, a senior from Start High School, were each presented with a $5,000 check to assist with their college education. The surprise announcement left both students overwhelmed with emotion.
Bolden, who plans to pursue a career as a high school choir director, was deeply moved by the gesture. “It was truly like a heart rush, I was like ‘there’s no way these people just called my name,’” he said. “It was truly like a special moment.” Bolden is set to attend Bowling Green State University in the fall, where he hopes to further his passion for music and education.
Sadowski, who aspires to become a middle school social studies teacher, was equally surprised and grateful for the financial support. “I just want to help shape the next generation and make them better,” he remarked. Sadowski will attend Lourdes University to pursue his dream of becoming an educator.
The $10,000 gift—split between the two students—was made possible by funds received by TPS Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant, who was honored with the Urban Educator of the Year award last fall. Dr. Durant chose to donate the funds to inspire and support future educators like Bolden and Sadowski.
“To see an educator come from my community brings great warmth to my heart,” Dr. Durant said during the event.
For Bolden, the impact of his choir teacher at Waite High School has been profound, especially after facing the loss of his father in 2020. “After I had lost my father, I was really in a slump, but once I joined my choir program, it was really an opportunity for me to find myself, but also find out who I wanted to be later in life,” he explained.
In addition to the two $5,000 awards, TPS honored its valedictorians, salutatorians, and a range of scholarship recipients, many of whom were supported by the TPS Foundation. Families of the graduates gathered for an evening of celebration, congratulating the students for their achievements and looking ahead to their post-graduation journeys.
The event was a reminder of the bright futures awaiting these young scholars, who are poised to make an impact in their respective fields. As Bolden put it, “It’s such a big step into the future that it’s just going to be a whole new world and I can’t wait to see it.”
With TPS graduation ceremonies scheduled to begin on May 20, the students are now preparing to embark on the next phase of their educational journeys, ready to make a difference in the world.