McConnell Scholarship winner found time to do it all in high school

Selin Boztepe was involved in seemingly every organization she could be at Groveport Madison High School, played on the school's volleyball team, and even created some clubs of her own.

Oh, and she is one of Groveport Madison's valedictorians as well, boasting a grade-point average well above 4.0.

Yet despite that -- and a few part-time jobs, as typical of a teenager -- she still has found plenty of time to attend Blue Jackets games over the past few years.

"My love for the Blue Jackets is endless," she said. "It means so much to me because it's just been an outlet throughout these years."

So perhaps it's fitting, then, that Boztepe was chosen for one of the top honors bestowed by the CBJ organization each year. She was announced this spring as the 2023 recipient of the John H. McConnell Scholarship, a $10,000 award for one high school senior each school year who stands out in the areas of character, leadership and work in the community.

"When I got it, I was in class and I just, like, screamed," said Boztepe, who plans to attend Ohio State next year to study either marketing or international business. "I love the Blue Jackets, and everybody around me knows that I love the Blue Jackets, so they were like, 'Oh, obviously she got it.' But it's really great, and I'm really appreciative."

The scholarship fund, which began in 2008 to honor the life and legacy of the team's late founder John H. McConnell, was created to recognize a high school senior who closely personifies the character and leadership that Mr. Mac valued.

Boztepe would certainly qualify given the long list of accomplishments from her high school career. Some of those highlights include being president of the school's Key Club and DECA chapters, founding a school chapter of the Sending Sunshine program that sends cards to isolated senior citizens, taking part in the Ohio State Student Leadership Research Collaborative, and doing volunteer shifts in such programs as Adopt-a-family, Bed Brigade and at the Brookdale Senior Living center.

One wonders how Boztepe kept it all straight, but not only did she do so, she excelled. For example, in DECA -- a program for high school and college students that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management -- Boztepe went to the state finals in entrepreneurship as a junior.

That is one of Boztepe's top memories from her high school career, but what really encapsulates her drive happened one day when she noticed a classmate carrying a scarlet Ohio State notebook. The friend said she had just been accepted into the OSU Student Leadership Research Collaborative, which brings together students from across Central Ohio to become "voices of change" for their respective schools and communities

Boztepe wasn't part of the original crew of students at Groveport Madison to be chosen for the program, but she quickly went to the guidance counselor in charge to campaign for a spot.

"I'm like, 'OK, look, I have to be in it. I don't think you understand, this is what I do,' " Boztepe said. "She was like, 'OK, we'll see.' So then I go to my principal and I'm like, 'Look, I really want to be a part of this. Please make sure that I'm in this.' He already knows me and my work, so he's like, 'Don't worry about it, we'll get you in.'

"It was just something I felt really strongly about. I felt like I had to be in it for multiple reasons. If I hadn't taken that initiative, I feel like my high school career might not have been as impactful."

Through the Ohio State Student Leadership Research Collaborative, this year, Boztepe had the opportunity to speak to the ACT Conference to discuss what she had learned and how students and educators can work together more effectively.

Boztepe is the second straight Groveport Madison student to earn the McConnell Scholarship, joining longtime friend Keller Weston, who was honored in 2022. It's a school district that doesn't have some of the resources as others in the Central Ohio area, and to that end, the research she and her classmates performed through the Ohio State collaborative focused on how they could bridge the gap between students and their relationship with our school.

Since that research was done, the group has held multiple pep rallies and events to encourage students to reach their potential. It's the kind of forward-thinking leadership that made Boztepe such a clear choice for the scholarship honor, and something she's continuing until the very end.

"Fortunately, I get to speak at graduation, so I want my message to convey to them that you are more than your tax bracket," Boztepe said. "You can do so much more. I'm really happy that I get to do that speech. It's been great to see the potential come out of my peers, and I hope that they see what they can do and they're not just defined by their current environment."