Looking back upon his time at Academy, Ryan Vesler says he’s come  to appreciate the faculty in a different way as he came to understand who they were and what they’re about, knowing that they all supported him.

Vesler  had an interest with computers, working during the summers with Mr. Cullinan and Mr. Hildahl and recalls starting a school bowling club that has evolved into what is now the Academy’s varsity  bowling team.

He also looks back with a heightened appreciation for the process of the Junior Speech, saying “Getting up in front of your peers and giving a Junior Speech is the most confidence building exercises any high school kid anywhere can get. You think ‘After I do this, I can get up and do anything.’”

After graduating from Academy, Vesler attended Ohio University and pursued Spanish as a major, a subject he “secretly kind of liked” since high school.

The idea of Homage began at OU.

With a successful eBay account that pieced together and sold vintage outfits from thrift stores, Vesler slowly began producing his own tee-shirts. He found a place to buy plain shirts, where to screen print them, and where to sell them, starting with boutiques. From there, slowly and steadily, his company grew.

Now with two locations in Columbus, one in Cleveland, and one in Cincinnati, the Columbus-based company is spreading throughout Ohio and includes sport team apparel for Pittsburgh, Boston, and New York City.

Regarding his company’s name, Vessler says that it was important for him to represent a message that was simple yet meaningful, as “the simplest messages are easiest to understand and paying homage to a person that is deeply, truly respected or loved is what Homage is about.”