Editor’s Note: The Times-Reporter is profiling one senior from each of the school districts in Tuscarawas County coinciding with graduation. They were nominated by school administrators.
DENNISON ‒ Ellie Baker has been juggling classwork, extracurricular activities and running a startup business during her senior year at Claymont High School.
Baker, 18, a Dennison resident and daughter of Carissa and John Baker, is valedictorian for the Claymont Class of 2024.
More on Ellie Baker: Step inside the courtroom as CHS students practice for Ohio High School Mock Trial
She attends classes at Kent State University at Tuscarawas, was a member of the school’s mock trial team which participated in the 2024 Ohio High School Mock Trial State Competition in Columbus, and is CEO of Age Well, a company she runs with three other students at Claymont.
Being more aware of wellness
Age Well, created through Junior Achievement, North Central Ohio, sells a wellness kit for people over the age of 50.
“We were just talking about how our grandparents are starting to decline, and then it will eventually be our parents,” Baker said. “We wanted people to be more proactive and be more aware of wellness.”
Last month, Baker and her co-owners competed in the second annual Shark Tub pitch competition at Buckeye Career Center. A total of 12 companies competed in this competition to support small businesses. Age Well came in first, winning a $5,000 prize.
“I had a blast and the event was wonderful,” Baker said. “We plan to use the prize money for marketing and manufacturing cost. I’m so grateful to be the CEO of Age Well and experience events such as this one.”
The competition was started by economic developers around this part of Ohio. It was open to businesses that have been in operation for less than five years, according to John Kelly, director of business development for the Tuscarawas County Economic Development Corp. and one of the event organizers.
“Those high school students were really well prepared,” he said of Baker’s company. “They did a good job.”
Career plans
Baker plans on studying political science, with a minor in business, when she goes to college. She hopes to become an attorney, with a focus on real estate or business law. She and an older brother are the first members of her family to go to college.
Participating in the mock trial team and running a business were her favorite activities in high school. “The business has taught me how to talk to people and how to face challenges in a different way,” she said.
Baker said she is more than all the things she has done in high school.
“I’m really caring,” she said. “I do these things to help the community and not just myself. It’s more than just something on a resume, more than an activity list. It’s really to get out there and show people that even if you don’t have a last name or don’t know what to do, if you’re not good at athletics, there is a path for you to go.”
She noted that some students have an advantage because they have a well-known last name. “When I came to high school, no one knew me or my last name. I built that up for myself.”
Advice to others
What advice does she have for students coming after her?
“I just want them to do what they feel is their passion. Don’t do something that you don’t actually enjoy, and if it takes you 10, 20, 100 times to do it, just keep going,” Baker said.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Claymont’s Ellie Baker looks forward to a career as a lawyer
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