Area high school students learn about Darke County government

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DARKE COUNTY — On Wednesday, high school students from across Darke County got an in-depth look at the workings of local government — and some pizza.

During County Government Day, 22 students toured various county offices with Commissioners Matt Aultman, Mike Rhoades and Mike Stegall.

Offices visited included the Sheriff, County Home, Animal Shelter, Juvenile Court, Common Pleas Court, Board of Elections, Health Department, Job & Family Services, Solid Waste, Engineer, Treasurer, Auditor, Recorder, Clerk, Prosecuting Attorney, and Adult Probation.

“I absolutely love it,” said Stegall. “I always enjoy it. We have a good bunch of kids and I do think they learn something.”

“They learn how the jobs they’re going into are so interconnected with county jobs,” said Aultman. “They don’t often realize how something else works with something else in the county.”

Darke County Treasurer Scott Zumbrink was one of the public officials who hosted students at his office.

“It’s a good way of presenting to the students what county government is about, and hopefully in the future they’ll remember some of the things they’ve learned, maybe the offices that they need to call if they have questions,” he said.

Johnny Fike, a junior at Bradford High School, called it “a great experience.”

“It’s really interesting to see how everything works,” he said. Fike said he is planning to major in Criminal Justice after high school and would like to become a police officer.

Lauren Flory, a junior at Tri-Village High School, said this was her first year participating in the event and would recommend it to other students.

“I really enjoyed seeing the different departments that are in the courthouse,” she said. “We got to sit in on a hearing, which was really cool.” Flory plans to attend Ball State and major in Finance and minor in Marketing.

Following the tours, students gathered at the county building for pizza and to sit in on a session with the commissioners.

In addition to Fike and Flory, other students participating included:

Arcanum: Tyler Rardin, Kyle Collins, Nate Merritt

Ansonia: Sarah Murphy, Skyler Marker

Bradford: Bryant Byers, Clay Layman

Franklin Monroe: Shelby Bowser, Peyton Archer, Kirsten Zink

Greenville: Genesis Malin, Megan Azbill

Mississinawa: Josiah Philiposian, Brook Stump

Tri-Village: Rachel Crist, Camren Munchel

Versailles: Trevor Noggle, Preston Platfoot, Justin Besecker, Tim Foreman

Twenty two high school students representing all Darke County schools participated in County Government Day, May 3. Shown are the students with Darke County Commissioners Mike Rhoades (front row, left), Mike Stegall (top, second from left) and Matt Aultman (top, second from right), and John Jackson, Social Studies instructor with Versailles High School (top, right).
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_StuGov-8681-PRINT.jpgTwenty two high school students representing all Darke County schools participated in County Government Day, May 3. Shown are the students with Darke County Commissioners Mike Rhoades (front row, left), Mike Stegall (top, second from left) and Matt Aultman (top, second from right), and John Jackson, Social Studies instructor with Versailles High School (top, right). Erik Martin | The Daily Advocate

By Erik Martin

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The writer may be reached at 937-569-4314. Join the conversation and get updates on Facebook search Darke County Sports or Advocate 360. For more features online go to dailyadvocate.com

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