Sept. 12, 2024 (CHARDON, OH) — After a biology class at Chardon High School sparked her interest in science, Miss Ally Smrdel, CHS ‘20, pursued a career in the medical field, her 4Es journey since leading her to employment as a medical technologist. 

Smrdel was very involved during her time with Chardon Schools. She participated in several extracurricular activities including varsity soccer, Actively Caring 4 People, Lead Senior Mentor, and National Honors Society. Smrdel also served as a Family and Consumer Sciences teaching assistant and was salutatorian.

As a student at Chardon High School, Smrdel said Mr. Robert Mizen’s biology class played a significant role in her future. 

“He was such an engaging teacher, and had a heart of gold that I looked up to. He made sure I did well in his class, had letters of recommendation for colleges, and always supported me in extracurriculars,” Smrdel said. 

After graduating from CHS, Smrdel enrolled at the University of Mount Union, where she obtained a double major in Biology and Medical Laboratory Science with a minor in Chemistry. 

During her fourth year at Mount Union, Smrdel attended the Akron Cooperative Medical Laboratory Science Program which included one year of classroom and lab learning as well as in-hospital clinicals. 

“I took and passed my American Society for Clinical Pathology Medical Laboratory Scientist board exam in July 2024 to certify myself as a Medical Laboratory Scientist,” Smrdel said. 

For the past year and a half, Smrdel worked as a medical technician student, or lab assistant, at Summa Health’s Critical Care Lab in Akron. 

Now, Smrdel is excited to be continuing her career as a Medical Technologist in the Clinical Pathology department at Charles River Laboratories in Ashland. 

“Charles River is a contract research organization which has aided in the development of various pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines, including that of COVID-19,” Smrdel said. “It truly is such a great company to work for!

“Chardon will always have a special place in my heart; it was a wonderful community to have grown up in,” Smrdel said. “I hope everyone graduating from CHS takes every opportunity that comes their way. You’ll never regret trying something, but you might regret not trying it.”

Thank you for sharing your 4Es story, Ally! 

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