Key Points 

• More than 400 students from high schools and trade schools across Stark County attended the third annual Student Field Day at Marathon Petroleum’s light products terminal in Canton, Ohio. 
• Students took part in more than a dozen hands-on activities designed to introduce them to careers in skilled trades and the oil and gas industry. 
• Employees from across Marathon Petroleum’s Canton-area operations worked with Stark Education Partnership, local agencies and contractors to bring the two-day event together. 

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Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s (MPC) light products terminal in Canton, Ohio, hosted its annual Student Field Day for the third year, bringing more students than ever to the site in 2026. 

The event has grown from a one-day gathering into a two-day experience, giving hundreds of local students a hands-on look at careers in skilled trades and the oil and gas industry. 

“It has been such a rewarding experience and something that’s hard to put into words. Watching how much it has grown has been incredible for all of us to see.” 

The terminal teamed up with MPC’s nearby refinery operations and again partnered with Stark Education Partnership, an organization that connects local schools with real-world workforce opportunities. Local agencies and contractors also helped make the two-day event a success. 

“We have been a part of this event since its inception, and what started out as an idea from Marathon to make this a community outreach event for local students and expose them to all the different kinds of careers they offer here has far exceeded all of our expectations,” said Susan Hayes, Career Champion at Stark Education Partnership. 

Whitney Reinhart, Lead Project Coordinator in Terminal Services at MPC and former Canton Terminal Operations Manager, has helped plan and build the event from the start. 
 
“It has been such a rewarding experience and something that’s hard to put into words,” Reinhart said. “Watching how much it has grown has been incredible for all of us to see.”

This year’s event welcomed a record number of more than 400 students from high schools and trade schools across Stark County. Students rotated through more than a dozen interactive stations led by employees from MPC’s Canton-area operations, giving them a behind-the-scenes look at the work and careers that help keep the company moving. 

“My students just need exposure,” one educator said. “They hear about the normal stuff, ‘I want to do this’ or ‘I want to do that,’ but they don’t always think about a lot of the opportunities that are out there. Field Day gives them a look at opportunities they may not have even known existed.” 
 
Putting on Student Field Day each year is a true team effort, with employees from Logistics & Storage Terminals, Refining, Transport, Marathon Pipe Line, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Health, Environment, Safety & Security working together to make the event the best experience possible for students. 
 
“For us to say, ‘We want to energize your future,’ that’s exactly what we want,” Reinhart said. “Really put a fire in these students and get them to understand we have so many opportunities here at Marathon that they otherwise may have had no idea about.”