Fall 2022 Commencement Information

Fall 2022 Program Document

Keynote Speaker: David Lee Morgan, Jr.

David Lee Morgan, Jr. is former longtime sportswriter, high school English teacher, public speaker, and author. David Lee received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional Writing and Editing from Youngstown State University, and his Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. David Lee is a co-producer of the 2022 regional Emmy-Award winning PBS documentary, Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley, which aired nationally on PBS and was distributed by American Public Television.

David is the author of 11 books including LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, which was selected as one of the year’s best books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers by the American Library Association in 2005. The book also received starred editorial reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal. He also is the author of More Than a Coach: What It Means to Play for Coach, Mentor, and Friend Jim Tressel, and the August 1, 2023, nationwide release of the book Breaking the Lines: The Marion Motley Story.

David is currently an English teacher and video journalism teacher at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. Prior to transitioning into teaching, David was a longtime sportswriter where he worked for the Warren Tribune, Youngstown Vindicator, Raleigh (NC) News & Observer, Binghamton (NY) Press & Sun Bulletin, WYTV Channel 33 in Youngstown, and the Akron Beacon Journal.

David is a member of the Warren High Schools Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, the Trumbull County African American Achiever’s Hall of Fame, a member of the Board of Directors for PBS Western Reserve, a member of the Ohio Education Association, the National Education Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Stark County NAACP, and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club.

David and his wife Jill enjoy their Northeast Ohio home in Canton, (the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Marion Motley), with their two Labrador retrievers D.J., and Donut. They also enjoy the regular visits from their seven adult children and three grandchildren. Visit David Lee online at www.davidleemorganjr.com.

Student Speaker: Kendall Bartels

My name is Kendall Bartels and I am 21 years old. I am a graduate from Canfield High School. I am majoring in Forensic Science with a concentration in chemistry and a minor in chemistry. Throughout my time at YSU I served as the delight dates coordinator for Delight Ministries, a tutor for organic chemistry, and a forensic science teaching assistant. I am a member of Sigma Alpha Pi and the Honor Society. This past spring I was awarded the Dr. Eugene D. Scudder Organic Chemistry award for outstanding performance in the field of organic chemistry. This summer I began an internship at the Central Ohio Regional Crime Laboratory in Newark, Ohio, with my area of training focused in controlled substance analysis. After graduation, I hope to receive a full-time position in a crime laboratory within the drug chemistry unit.