Private Schools: Nick Ragone Sparks Creativity And Community

Nick Ragone looks for a spark of creativity and connection in everything he does. The 17-year-old is the incoming captain for St. Ignatius’ Science Olympiad team, which competes in statewide eventsfocused on utilizing natural and applied sciences. But he’s also a member of student senate andthe school’s Labre Ministry to the Homeless, which delivers food to and strikes up friendship with Cleveland’s homeless community.

Weird Science: As a member and incoming captain for Science Olympiad, Ragone competes in five events focusing on different areas of science. The event Protein Modeling, for instance, tests students on their knowledge of microbiology. His favorite, however, is Experimental Design where he creates experiments based on a given topic. “It’s really formulaic in the way you do it, which is kind of nice, because some of the other events can be all over the place,” says Ragone.

Big Brother: When he’s not playing intramural basketball, Ragone will spend part of his time this year mentoring a sixth grader at St. Ignatius’ Welsh Academy for incoming middle schoolers with modest economic needs. “It’s one of the most important things St. Ignatius has done in a really long time because it makes an Ignatian education available to everyone,” he says.

Community Service: Labre Ministry has helped open Ragone to new things. “There are a lot of really interesting experiences that are important for getting a good worldview,” he says. “I met a kid, who was my age, who was out there. He was 16 and that was an interesting experience because our lives were so different.” HEART MATTERS: Ragone looks to his former sophomore chemistry teacher Ed Nolan asa role model. “He helped me find a deep interest in chemistry, but he also taught me how to be a better man, just living in my own life and things that are outside of school,” says Ragone. “I hadn’t really thought so much about it, but he’s made me care alot more about social justice.”

Sky's The Limit: Ragone is planning on taking an extra science class in the fall with dreams of working in a lab one day.He’s set on engineering at the moment, with a focus on either mechanical, chemical or construction engineering.Regardless, he knows he wants to pursue a STEM field. “I think Science Olympiad has piqued my interest in [science] and helped me develop and decide what I actually like about it,” he says. “I’d like to have a job where I can use science to help people or advance technology.”