MCF Awards $100K in Scholarships with More Coming

Marion Community Foundation has announced its 2012 Scholarship Program awards of $100,000 among 85 scholarships which will be given to local high school graduates and college students. An additional $20,000 will soon be awarded to the Wopat Scholars.

The biggest addition to MCF’s Scholarship Program is the launch of the Wopat Scholars. According to MCF president Brad Bebout, “The Scholarship Committee has identified five finalists for the Wopat Scholars, which will be a 4-year scholarship of $10,000 per year. Interviews will be conducted on May 14 and recipients announced soon thereafter.” Two Wopat Scholars will be named.

Made possible by the substantial gift of the late Robert and Dorothy Wopat, the scholarship fund they created will award two 4-year scholarships.  The recipients will not have to reapply each year but must meet certain standards to continue to receive the scholarship.  “These are intended to be ‘impact’ scholarships,” said Bebout. “The Scholarship Committee has identified outstanding candidates from among this year’s applicants who demonstrate both superior academic merit and financial need.  The intention of impact scholarships is to enable students to attend a college or university program that would otherwise be beyond their reach.”

“We continue to be grateful to the Wopats for their generosity and forward thinking.  The Marion community is just beginning to feel the positive, tangible impact of the Wopats’ gift,” said Bebout.  He notes that the $16 million left by the couple has created three funds at MCF — the Wopat Community Fund, the Wopat Scholarship Fund, and the Wopat YMCA Fund.  Bebout foresees additional 4-year scholarships in the future.

The 2012 MCF Scholarship Program concluded in late April with the awards being recommended by the scholarship committee and approved by the board of trustees.  This year’s scholarship committee members included: board members Tom Johnston, Larry Geissler, Sue Jacob, Doug Ford and Dr. Charles Garvin.

The 2012 scholarship funds and their award recipients are as follows:

• Adam Johnston Memorial Scholarship — for Ridgedale High School seniors — awarded to Sutton Hensel ($500);
• Alex Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors — awarded to Bethany James ($1,275);
• Andrew Wigton Memorial Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors — awarded to Adam Chidester and Eric Reed ($1,000 each);
• Aris Kasotis Memorial Scholarship – for Marion Harding High School seniors — awarded to Rachel Hardgrove and Morgan Fields ($400 each);
• Bergmann Family Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates pursuing degrees in electrical engineering or computer science – awarded to Josh Alexander ($1,275);
• Carol S. Geissler Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors and graduates pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Lauren Thomas ($1,000);
• Catherine Amelia Thew Brown Memorial Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates – awarded to Mary Yeoman, Ashley Neal, Ashley Ray and Ceslie Eblin
• ($1,000 each);
• Christopher B. Ream Scholarship — for Marion County students pursuing degrees in special education or obstetrics — awarded to Jessica Swope ($1,000);
• Cornell/Goodman Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates – awarded to Tori Sparks ($2,000);
• Danny C. Sipes Memorial Scholarship – for Marion Harding High School seniors and baseball team members — awarded to Britton O’Neil ($1,800);
• David K. Rogers Memorial Scholarship – for Marion Catholic seniors – awarded to Casey Getha ($500);
• Douglas & Elaine Waring Memorial Scholarship — for Marion County high school seniors — awarded to Nicholas Brewer and Kathryn Poorman ($1,000 each);\
• Eddie Shelton Agricultural Scholarship – for Marion County senior of graduates pursuing a degree in agricultural – awarded to Larissa Stover ($875);
• Eugene & Cecilia Reszczynski Scholarship — for Marion County students — awarded to Emily Green ($850), Benjamin McKinniss, Katherine Westbrook, Rebekah Gliem and Victoria Meadows ($1,000 each);
• Gary W. Troll Memorial Scholarship – in 2012, for seniors attending Marion County high schools — awarded to Ashley Irvin ($750);
• Gene Jerew Memorial Scholarship — for Marion County students — awarded to Wes Blankenship ($875);
• Gregory A. Rees Memorial Scholarship – in 2012, for seniors attending Marion Harding High School — awarded Meagan Nedds ($775);
• Hazel B. & A.B. Augenstein Scholarship — for River Valley High School seniors (4-year award) — awarded to Tyler Prettyman ($1,250, in first year);
• Helen & Bob Bintz Scholarship — for Marion County students attending the University of Dayton — awarded to Kelsea Sullivan ($2,325) and Andrew Ault ($1,000);
• Helen E. Evans Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Lauren Thomas ($1,100);
• Herbert Tillett Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Brook Cornely ($250);
• Helen M. Thew Memorial Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates – awarded to Emily Springer, Michelle Zentkovich, Kendra Kinnear and Misty Cushing ($1,000 each);
• Herbert Tillett Scholarship – for Marion Harding students – awarded to Rebecca Darling ($200);
• Jeannette Turner Memorial Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates – awarded to Kristian Irey, Holli Gatshall, Allison James and Abigail Wilch ($1,000 each);
• Jeannette White Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors and graduates pursuing careers in veterinary medicine — awarded to Tyler Fields ($350);
• John & Jackie Watkins Scholarship – for Marion County high school seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture – awarded to Larissa Stover ($200);
• John T. Gordon Memorial Eagle Scout Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates who hold the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America – awarded to Aron Gibson ($375);
• Joe Petrich & Al Beach Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors who have participated in the interscholastic athletic program — awarded to Samantha Fox ($750);
• Judge Thomas K. Jenkins Scholarship — for Marion County graduates to attend law school — awarded to Blake Kawabata ($3,275) and Adam Chaudry ($500);
• Kenny Martin Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School graduates or seniors — awarded to Connor Davidson ($4,200);
• Mandy Kruder Memorial Scholarship– for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Bethany James and Lauren Thomas ($2,500 each);
• Marge Sorreles Davies Memorial Scholarship – for Marion County seniors and graduates pursing a degree in nursing – awarded to Kelsi Lauer (525);
• Marion Academy of Medicine Scholarship — for Marion County graduates to attend medical school — awarded to John Tyler Kaufman ($775);
• Marion Area Auxiliary Scholarship — for Marion County students pursuing education in health care or medical sciences — awarded to Kendra Crabtree, Aron Gibson, Amy Kneisley, Jaron Knots and Paxton Wegner ($1,000 each);
• Marion Elks Lodge #32 Scholarship — for high school seniors residing in Marion and contiguous counties — awarded to Dylan Richards and Sarah Shelton ($500 each);
• Pleasant Local Schools Board of Education Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors in the upper 25th percentile of their graduating class — awarded to Drew Miller and Allie Wentz ($1,212.50 each);
• Rocco Nicolosi Memorial Scholarship– for Marion County high school seniors — awarded to Dylan Richards ($750);
• Roger & Donna Holbrook Memorial Scholarship – for Pleasant High School students – awarded to Eli Burris ($1,350);
• Sims Family Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors — awarded to Sarah Endsley and Jenna Kelly ($1,000 each);
• Stephanie K. Lust Memorial Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors — awarded to Jaron Knots and Hannah Shaffer ($1,400 each);
• Ted Mitchell Memorial Scholarship – for Marion area high school students to attend The Ohio State University — awarded to Megan Nelson ($1,125) and Kelsi Lauer ($1,000);
• The Craig Scholarship — for seniors of Ridgedale High School — awarded to Courtney Simpkins ($1,000);
• Vera O. McDanel Scholarship — for Marion County high school seniors and graduates — awarded Partiv Vora and Jenna Crabtree ($1,000 each);
• Wayne Hoch Memorial Scholarship — for Pleasant High School graduates and seniors — awarded to Kristi Shonk ($250);
• William and Marjorie Grover Scholarship — for seniors and graduates of Pleasant High School — awarded to Katelyn Holler ($500); and,
• Youth Engaged in Philanthropy Scholarship — for Marion County high school seniors who have demonstrated commitment and dedication to community service, volunteerism, and philanthropy — awarded to Tyler Lenke ($1,000).

Marion Community Foundation is located inside the historic Stengel-True Museum at 504 S. State St. Office hours are weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The staff may be reached by calling 387-9704 or online at marioncommunityfoundation.org.