2009 Hall of Fame

Our fifth class of Hall of Fame inductees consists of an exceptional former student and an outstanding corporate & community partner.  

Captain Scott Swaidner, a former Criminal Justice student, leveraged his Polaris career-technical experience to pursue a distinguished career in the U.S. Army.  John Nesta, an outstanding community business partner, was recognized for his on-going commitment to the Polaris School-to-Apprenticeship program.
 
We are proud of our Hall of Fame inductees’ accomplishments and appreciate the role they serve as Polaris supporters and ambassadors.  They were officially inducted into the Polaris Hall of Fame during a ceremony on April 28, 2009.
 
John V. Nesta
 
Training Coordinator
Sheet Metal Workers Local #33
 
John Nesta, Training Coordinator for the Sheet Metal Workers Local #33, was instrumental in establishing the first School-to-Apprenticeship agreement in 1997 which serves as the model and boilerplate document used when establishing similar agreements with other organizations.  John hosts at least three field trips each year at the Local #33 Training Center for several Polaris programs where he educates students on the many career opportunities available in the Sheet Metal industry.  He also arranges visits to various sheet metal companies so students can see the actual work as the raw material is being transformed into finished products.  John conducts student/parent orientation sessions each year for students who qualify for the School-to-Apprenticeship program.  In addition, he works tirelessly to find companies willing to accept School-to-Apprenticeship trainees.  He also serves as an advisor to the School-to-Apprenticeship program and maintains contact with the students and Polaris staff throughout the students’ assignments.  John is a 1979 graduate of the Valley Forge High School Welding program.  Upon graduation, he entered a four year sheet metal apprenticeship and later became an instructor and coordinator.  John and his wife Denise are the proud parents of Victor, Bethany and Zane.
 
Scott A. Swaidner
 
Polaris Program:
Criminal Justice 1997 Graduate, Olmsted Falls High School
Current Employment:
Captain
Unites States Army
 
Captain Scott Swaidner is a 1997 graduate of the Polaris Criminal Justice program.  While enrolled at Polaris, he participated in physical fitness activities that ultimately enabled him to join the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman.  Swaidner was first stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he performed law and order and SWAT missions for the military police corps and later took advantage of the Army “Green-to-Gold” program that allowed him to return to Ohio as a college student while serving in the military.  In 2003, he graduated from Cleveland State University with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice.  He then volunteered for the U.S. Army Aviation Training Program and became a certified pilot flying Blackhawk helicopters in Germany.  In 2005, Captain Swaidner was deployed to Pakistan to participate in rescue and humanitarian missions in the aftermath of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the Kasmir Province.  Finally, Swaidner volunteered for a combat advisor mission called Military Transition Teams (MITT) that assist the Iraqi police in providing training and law enforcement services.  To qualify for this mission, he underwent a 75-day intensive training program to become a Combat Advisor to the Iraqi National Police and Armed Forces.  In that capacity, he supervises a battalion of Iraqi police and military personnel.
 
Whenever Scott visits Polaris, he talks to current students about his military experience and how Polaris changed his life.  Scott is married to Captain Dabney Clifton.