Twin Scholarship Winners
Derek and Ryan Coceano
Derek and Ryan Coceano are from Cinnaminson, New Jersey and have been attending the Twins Days Festival for ten years.
Derek Coceano
Derek believes that the collaboration he has learned from being a twin has helped him in his academic pursuits as well as leading him to his career choice as a mechanical engineer. He and his brother have always made sure to share with each other, whether it was sharing a toy as a child or now sharing a car. They also worked together on the Physics Olympics at their school, combining their talents to win the competition.
Derek is outgoing, curious and analytical and has been involved in many high school and community activities. He is an Eagle Scout, and competitive runner for track and cross-country running teams. He plans to attend Lehigh University this fall to study Mechanical Engineering and participate in their track and cross-country teams.
Ryan Coceano
Being a twin is an important part of Ryan’s life. He has enjoyed working with his brother throughout their lives, creating things together. The skills he has learned has benefited him in high school and helped him to learn the importance of sharing ideas, challenging his peers and working toward optimal solutions. Although Ryan and his brother are attending different colleges, they plan to continue collaborating on their assignments as they both will be studying Mechanical Engineering. It will be the first time they will be separated for a long time, but plan to keep in touch as much as possible.
Ryan is dedicated, creative and passionate and intent on improving the world. He is also an Eagle Scout and in high school he was involved in band, National Honor Society, Technology Student Association as well as participating in track and field. He will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he will also compete for the collegiate cross country and track and field teams.
Andrew R. Miller Memorial Winner
Alexis DiMatteo
As a sister of twins, Alexis has been attending the Twins Days Festival her entire life of 20 years. The importance of the Twins Days Festival as a family and community event has been realized by Alexis through her volunteer work for the Parade and Royal Court Committees. She believes, “This festival develops the cultural richness and diversity of the local community while enabling citizens to gain a deeper appreciation of different cultures through interacting with visiting twins, creating forever friendships across the globe….this form of respect enables the development of a greater sense of community and hometown pride.”
Along with her participation as a Twins Days volunteer, Alexis is also active in her school community of Columbus, Ohio, where she is entering her third year at The Ohio State University. She has served as a university Welcome Leader for new students, volunteers at a campus research lab through the Department of Pathology, and visits underprivileged high schools to teach STEM disciplines. She is projected to graduate in May of 2024, with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics and a Minor in Forensic Science. Earning Dean’s List recognition throughout her collegiate career, she is also a member of the STEM Exploration & Engagement Scholars Program. Alexis aspires to continue her work in genetics and forensics in a lab setting upon graduation, with the hopes of earning a PhD and making a difference in the health and lives of others.
Twinsburg High School Winners
Each year the Twins Days Festival Committee honors two Twinsburg High School graduating seniors who exhibit exceptional efforts not only in academics but in community service as well. Both of our recipients have been involved in numerous clubs and organizations throughout their high school career. They have given countless hours to the community including – of course – the Twins Days Festival.
Jenna Bradbourne considers herself an outgoing, caring, and hard-working individual who enjoys volunteering, reading, weight lifting, and all things music! In high school, she has been a high-achieving student, consistently challenging herself with honors and college-level classes. Involved with various organizations including Pep Club and Interact Club, Jenna was also a member of the THS Yearbook staff and the THS Show Choir. She has given many hours of volunteer work at the Cleveland Playhouse Square, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Polar Express Trains, and the Thrive Performing Arts Group. Most notably of course, are her contributions to the Twins Days Festival. Jenna started as a parade volunteer and advanced to an Official Festival Photographer. She has always loved photography for its ability to freeze fleeting moments and tell authentic stories in such a beautiful, raw way. Her gift of capturing a unique moment of a person’s life made her work at the Festival invaluable; and through the Festival, she has come to understand the deep familial bonds twins possess. An entrepreneur, Jenna officially started her own portrait photography business in January 2020, and has grown significantly as a business owner, artist, and a person, hoping to continue practicing her art through college and beyond! Jenna will be attending Bowling Green State University as an honors student and a McGranaghan Scholar, pursuing a degree in Marketing with a minor in Photography.
Zachary Miller
Zachary Miller considers himself a hardworking, determined, and creative individual. In his youth, a spy movie captured his attention, launching his desire to create all the “cool gadgets” used in the film. He now aspires to be an engineer, using all his aforementioned traits, in order to create unique and efficient solutions to our world’s engineering needs. He has been working toward that goal by taking courses at Twinsburg High School as well as the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center to learn more about his craft. On a CVCC Engineering Competition Team, he and his teammates were awarded 2nd place in the State Skills USA Competition. Being a top student in his engineering tech classes, he was occasionally asked to check fellow classmates’ work. Because of this and more, Zachary was the recipient of the CVCC 2023 Outstanding Student Award for Engineering Tech. Volunteering through his church, he has helped at a local women’s shelter as well as the Solutions Behavioral Counseling Center. Being a sibling of twins, Zachary spent most of his life intertwined in Twins Days Festival activities and the Double Take Parade. He has volunteered countless hours at the Festival through his involvement in the THS Show Choir, working both the Pepsi booth and serving as announcer for the annual Cornhole Tournament. Zachary plans to pursue a masters in Electrical Engineering at the University of Toledo with the hopes of finding a solution to our world’s climate change issues.
Thank you, Jenna and Zachary, for your service to your community and the Twins Days Festival. Good Luck in all your future endeavors!