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Alumni Testimonials
CEO Alumni bring a unique retrospective to the CEO journey. After experiencing CEO, alumni continue to utilize the skills learned to create an impact in the CEO community and beyond!
Grayson Schwartz
Edwardsville CEO
Class of 2026
Grayson is a senior at Edwardsville High School and a proud member of Edwardsville CEO and National Honor Society. He is also a member of Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA), Engineering Club, and Rotary Interact. Grayson enjoys lacrosse and plans to play with Edwardsville United this Spring. His interests include boating, fishing, scuba diving, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Grayson attends Metro Church and is a junior member of Edwardsville Neighbors in Need. He helps others in the community by organizing neighborhood food drives, donating supplies for senior gift bags, doing yard work, raising funds for pancreatic cancer, and leads a Turkey Trot team. This summer, Grayson worked at Madison Communications, where he gained hands-on experience splicing and burying fiber optic cable and strengthening his technical skills. He is exploring options as to where he will attend college, but plans to pursue degrees in Engineering (Bio-Medical or Mechanical) and Entrepreneurship. He is excited for new opportunities this CEO program will bring, and is hoping to meet new people and learn new skills that will help him succeed in the future.
Kylie Brunton
Edwardsville CEO
Class of 2026
Kylie Brunton is a Senior at Metro East Lutheran High School. She enjoys being the captain on her school’s competitive dance team. She also participates in Fuel (a student-led Bible study she created her freshman year), National Honor Society, Student Embassy, Academic Challenge, the debate club, and the drama choreographer and combat scene captain and theater hair/makeup. She also appreciates getting to spend time with her family. In the future she hopes to do a dual major in early childhood and elementary education to become a kindergarten teacher. Being a CEO student has inspired her to make good connections within her community in order to develop a career network, entrepreneurial mindset, and skills that will last her a lifetime. She is so thankful to have received this opportunity.
Alethea Ball
Edwardsville CEO
Class of 2026
Thea Ball is a senior at Metro East Lutheran High School. Thea is on the MELHS tennis, basketball, and softball teams. She also participates in National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Honor Choir. Outside of school, she participates in the Quercus Grove 4H Club, her church’s youth group, and she is employed at Hamel McDonald’s. Thea enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, watching movies, deer hunting, and being outside. After high school Thea plans to attend college and become a middle school teacher. Thea is grateful for the opportunity to be in CEO and is excited for all the things she will learn this year.
Lucas Lorenz
Edwardsville CEO
Class of 2026
Lucas Lorenz is a Senior at Metro East Lutheran High School. He is captain of the golf, basketball, volleyball, and robotics teams. He is a member of National Honors Society, band (He plays trumpet.), the Academic Challenge team, and the youth leadership team at his church. During his free time Lucas enjoys hiking, reading, and playing sports with friends. After high school Lucas hopes to attend the United States Air Force Academy and major in aerospace engineering, computer engineering, or mechanical engineering. Lucas looks forward to the challenges offered by the CEO program and wants to apply the learned skills into his everyday life.
Josephine Gehlbach
Edwardsville CEO
Class of 2026
Josephine Gehlbach is a senior at Edwardsville High School. She is currently getting her general college education done at Lewis and Clark Community College. Josie is currently working at Blue Wave Martial Arts and Fitness as an office employee, as well as a martial arts instructor for ages 3 all the way up to adults. Outside of school and work she enjoys going to see live music, volunteering for Special Olympics, spending time with friends, and doing anything outside or with ATVs. She hopes to earn her Certified Public Accounting license by 21 and work for a government agency, then go back to college to eventually become a forensic accountant for the FBI. Josie is excited to go through the CEO program to learn more about the business world, as the knowledge she will learn is priceless and is a huge advantage when entering the work force.