LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – For 10 years, MakerFest has connected high school students with local companies and career paths they might not see in a traditional classroom.
“MakerFest 2025 is the biggest ever. We're excited about 1,500 high school students being here from 22 different schools,” said Dave Stratton, president of Greater Lima Inc. “It's really a regional event, so we have schools from five different counties that are here. We have about 60 different businesses that are presenting interactive conversations.”
The event focuses on hands-on learning. Students are encouraged to try new things, make mistakes, and discover career paths they may be interested in pursuing after graduation.
“We were just basically learning about careers, options and stuff that we would have to adapt to in the future when we get out of high school,” said Jordan Crawford, a sophomore at Lima Senior High School. “I learned that there's multiple opportunities in the future for welding, and welding is actually a good career option. Sometimes we make mistakes and we just have to move past it."
The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce booth challenged students to develop a business idea—and think through how to adapt when things go wrong.
“We're really encouraging students to think about starting their own business—what it takes to start a successful business, where to allocate those funds, and then how to pivot,” said Josh Unterbrink, president and CEO of the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce.
Students had many career areas to explore, from cosmetology and health care to robotics and engineering.
“I did a lot of medical stations. I learned about X-rays and sutures, like stitches and stuff, and I did a few non-medical things like construction and food things,” said Alyza Pothast, a student from Fort Jennings.
“I got to go to a station with a bunch of different colleges and I got to talk to someone from Apollo, and I got to show her some of the nails I've done,” added Stella Menke, also from Fort Jennings.
“It's an honor to see these young people coming with ideas and passion—to show them pathways that they can be successful in the next stage of their life here in the Lima/Allen County region,” Unterbrink said.
Organizers say they're already planning new ways to connect more students and companies for next year's event.
