July 2, 2018—Congratulations to SHHS rising senior Leo Schirokauer, who is the first-place winner of the Bayer Bee Care Program’s Young Beekeeper Award. Leo first became interested in bees when a school librarian brought in her bee hive to show students. Since then, he has cultivated and managed hives that thrived, enabling him to sell honey, beeswax-based hand creams and lip balms. Today, Leo spends much of his time after school in a research lab at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he is working to develop a treatment for American Foulbrood disease, a disease that is fatal to honey bees.

 

Fifty applicants from 21 states were considered for the award. Leo will receive $3,000 to put toward his beekeeping projects or college tuition. Well done, Leo!