EFCTS | June 9, 2022

On June 24, 2020, a young life ended far too soon as the result of a traffic accident, but the memory of late Pickerington Central and Eastland-Fairfield student Jullian Arrington continues to live on through a scholarship that has been developed to award a deserving student in his honor.

Jullian, who would have graduated from PHSC and EFCTS as a member of the Class of 2021, was a Pre-Engineering student at Eastland Career Center and was described as an avid basketball fan and an active leader in his church community. In the early months of Summer 2020, Jullian was visiting family in West Virginia and an unfortunate car accident took his life.

“He enjoyed coming here (EFCTS). He enjoyed basketball. We had conversations all the time about who is better, Lebron (James) or (Michael) Jordan, and we never agreed,” said Pre-Engineering instructor Ken Miller said with a chuckle. “He was a good kid that always had a smile on his face and was always positive. He was a joy to have in class to talk to all the time.”

In the year following his passing, the Arrington family hosted a basketball tournament fundraiser at Victory Park in Pickerington that welcomed students from all over the community to compete and help fund a scholarship in Jullian's name. In 2021, two EFCTS Pre-Engineering students and former classmates of Jullian were awarded $500 scholarships. Samantha McAvoy ‘21 of Canal Winchester put her scholarship funds toward books as she prepared to attend Ohio University. Carson Estep ’21 of Reynoldsburg, eSTEM used his scholarship funds on tools that would launch his career.

This year, the amount of the scholarship fund has doubled to $2,000. The 2022 Jullian Arrington Scholarship award winner was Pre-Engineering graduate Cameron Evans of Canal Winchester High School. He was presented the scholarship at his Senior Recognition ceremony on May 19 by a member of Jullian's family. Cameron will be attending the University of Cincinnati for engineering, this fall.

Recent graduate Cameron Evans (center) is surrounded by his family as well as a member of Jullian Arrington's family after being awarded the 2022 Jullian Arrington Scholarship.

 

Two weeks prior to the class’ Senior Recognition Ceremony, an open house memorial ceremony was held at the Engineering Technologies Center at ECC. There, a tree was planted and dedicated on the front lawn of the building in Jullian's memory and a plaque, made by Pre-Engineering students, was also created and now hangs near the classroom door of their lab in remembrance. At least one representative from all but one of Mr. Miller’s graduating classes was in attendance, totaling nearly 50 people.

While the basketball tournament took a pause this year due to COVID-related uncertainties, the Jullian Arrington Scholarship is only picking up momentum. Jullian’s impact on his community and Eastland-Fairfield were large during his life, and now it will continue and grow for years to come.

Outside of the Engineering Technologies Center, a tree has been planted and has a plaque dedicating it to the life of Jullian Arrington.

 

About Eastland-Fairfield Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools is the seventh-largest career and technical education district, geographically, in the State of Ohio. We serve more than 5,000 students in 16 school districts throughout Franklin, Fairfield and Pickaway counties. Eastland-Fairfield provides more than 40 programs to over 1,400 high school and adult students. The district has two main campuses — Eastland Career Center in Groveport and Fairfield Career Center in Carroll, with satellite locations at four of our associate high schools: Gahanna Lincoln, Groveport Madison, New Albany, and Pickerington North. 

Founded in 1969. Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools’ mission is to engage, enrich, and equip students every day in every experience. We prepare students to pursue their life’s next E: Employment, Enlistment, Entrepreneurship, and/or additional Education. Visit us online at www.eastlandfairfield.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn for regular updates, fun content and information.