Local Students Awarded Over $90,000

Marion Community Foundation has announced its 2010 Scholarship Program awards — more than $91,000, in 89 scholarships, to be given to 74 local students. This represents an increase of $40,000 in awards over last year.

“One of the remarkable things about philanthropy, and the Marion community in particular, is generosity in difficult times,” said MCF President Brad Bebout. “Donors to our scholarship funds understand the importance of education for future generations and have responded, enabling us to make substantial awards this year.”

Bebout noted that applications for the scholarship program were up nearly 50 percent over previous years and a marked increase came in applications from area students attending college. The average scholarship award is nearly $1,000.

“We’ve always received applications from high school seniors; however, now that Marion Community Foundation has been around for a number of years, we have reached the point where students who have gone off to college remember us and come back home for continued help with their educational goals,” he said.

The 2010 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 (chair), Dr. Charlie Garvin, Sue Jacob, Larry Geissler and Doug Ford, as well as The Ohio State University at Marion Director of Student Services, Michael Short.

The 2010 scholarship funds and their award recipients are as follows:

• Adam Johnston Memorial Scholarship — for Ridgedale High School seniors — awarded to Katherine Eberhardt ($525);
• Alex Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors — awarded to Alicia Blevins ($1,450);
• Andrew Wigton Memorial Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors — awarded to Austin Duncan ($600);
• Aris Kasotis Memorial Scholarship – for Marion Harding High School seniors — awarded to Geoffrey B. Baird ($1,000);
• Carol S. Geissler Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors and graduates pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Holli Gattshall ($1,000);
• Christopher B. Ream Scholarship — for Marion County students pursuing degrees in special education or obstetrics — awarded to McKenzie Orsini-Thomas ($1,125);
• Danny C. Sipes Memorial Scholarship – for Marion Harding High School seniors and baseball team members — awarded to Asher Rumple ($2,100);
• Douglas & Elaine Waring Memorial Scholarship — for Marion County high school seniors — awarded to Steven Barber ($575), Thomas Owings ($575), Mary Jones ($575), and Hannah Stoltzfus ($575);
• Erin Y. James Memorial Scholarship — for North Union High School seniors — awarded to Autumn Bumgarner ($700);
• Eugene & Cecilia Reszczynski Scholarship — for Marion County students — awarded to Michele Zentkovich ($1,000), Lauren Prettyman ($1,000), Breck Willis ($1,000), Meredith Andrews ($1,000), Rebekah Gliem ($1,000), and Katherine Eberhardt ($500);
• Gary W. Troll Memorial Scholarship – in 2010, for seniors attending Seneca County high schools — awarded to Brittany Twigg ($850);
• Gene Jerew Memorial Scholarship — for Marion County students — awarded to Kean Reid ($1,000);
• Gregory A. Rees Memorial Scholarship – in 2010, for seniors attending Georgetown (Texas) High School — awarded to Jordan Sheffield ($1,000);
• Hazel B. & A.B. Augenstein Scholarship — for River Valley High School seniors (4-year award) — awarded to Heather M. Gorslin ($1,000, in first year);
• Helen & Bob Bintz Scholarship — for Marion County students attending the University of Dayton — awarded to Erin Baldinger ($1,000), Emily Sheridan ($1,000), Amanda Myers ($1,000), and Tyler Feaver ($750);
• Helen E. Evans Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Megan Herr ($1,200);
• Herbert Tillett Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Brook Cornely ($250);
• Jeannette White Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors and graduates pursuing careers in veterinary medicine — awarded to Tyler Fields ($400);
• Joe Petrich & Al Beach Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors who have participated in the interscholastic athletic program  — awarded to Madison Mackay ($800);
• John & Carol Boblenz Scholarship — for River Valley High School seniors — awarded to Karellyn Holston ($1,000);
• Judge Thomas K. Jenkins Scholarship — for Marion County graduates to attend law school — awarded to Jeremy D. Burkhart ($1,425), Brian J. Dean ($1,425), and Sean P. Williamson ($1,425);
• Kenny Martin Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School graduates or seniors — awarded to Geoffrey Baird ($1,187.50), Kristian Irey ($1,187.50), Ariel Mastro ($1,187.50), and Janelle Wilson ($1,187.50);
• Mandy Kruder Memorial Scholarship– for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing degrees in education — awarded to Joy Fetter ($2,000), Maci Rife ($2,000), and Brook Cornely ($1,600);
• Marion Academy of Medicine Scholarship — for Marion County graduates to attend medical school — awarded to Eric E. Vangeloff ($850);
• Marion Area Auxiliary Scholarship — for Marion County students pursuing education in health care or medical sciences — awarded to Andrew C. Conway ($1,000), Caitlin E. Haycook ($1,000), Amber M. Kreis ($1,000), Hannah E. Loya ($1,000), and Mary J. Meyer ($1,000);
• Marion Elks Lodge #32 Scholarship — for high school seniors residing in Marion and continguous counties — awarded to Matthew Scharf ($600) and Ericka Kneisley ($600);
• Pleasant Local Schools Board of Education Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors in the upper 25th percentile of their graduating class — awarded to Rochelle Vance ($1,000), Preeyam Gandhi ($1,000), Nathan Alexander ($1,000), Natalie Field ($1,000), Michele Zentkovich ($1,000), and Ellen Dutton ($1,000);
• Ridgemont Scholarship — for seniors and graduates of Ridgemont High School (Ridgeway, Ohio) — awarded to Briana Bodine ($1,000), Rachel Eastman ($1,000), Paige Guenther ($1,000), Benjamin Ray ($1,500), Matthew Scharf ($1,000), Breanna Schrader ($1,000), Aaron Scott ($1,000), Robin Shafer ($1,500), and Stephanie Taylor ($1,000);
• Robert M. & Dorothy C. Wopat Scholarship — for Marion County high school seniors and graduates — awarded to Amanda Worstell ($1,350), Alexander Langley-Maddy ($1,000), Abby Bailey ($1,000), and Natalie Field ($1,000);
• Rocco Nicolosi Memorial Scholarship– for Marion County high school seniors — awarded to Madison Mackay ($750);
• Sharon Bender Memorial Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors pursuing a degree in education — awarded to Maci Rife ($500);
• Sims Family Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors — awarded to Lindsey Hayes ($500) and Steven Barber ($500);
• Stephanie K. Lust Memorial Scholarship — for Pleasant High School seniors — awarded to Austin Duncan ($1,487.50) and Rochelle Vance ($1,487.50);
• Taft Middle School Music Department Scholarship — for Marion Harding High School seniors who have participated in music programs and attended schools in the former Taft Middle School district — awarded to Megan N. Herr ($800);
• Ted Mitchell Memorial Scholarship – for Marion area high school students to attend The Ohio State University — awarded to Elizabeth Bender ($1,275) and Cody Price ($1,000);
• The Craig Scholarship — for seniors of Ridgedale High School — awarded to Mollee Galloway ($1,000);
• Ula McNamara Watts Performing Arts Scholarship — for high school seniors pursuing degrees in the performing arts — awarded to Breck Willis ($1,150);
• Vera O. McDanel Scholarship — for Marion County high school seniors and graduates — awarded to Josh Campbell ($1,000), Jameson Boblenz ($1,000), Seth Hinklin ($1,000), Michaela Phillians ($1,000), Hannah Schlichting ($1,000), and Nathan Alexander ($850);
• Wayne Hoch Memorial Scholarship — for Pleasant High School graduates and seniors — awarded to Rachel Probst ($250);
• William and Marjorie Grover Scholarship — for seniors and graduates of Pleasant High School — awarded to Madeleine Agler ($500);
• 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 Kristian L. Irey ($1,000); and,
• Founders’ Fund Scholarship — for Marion County scholars — awarded to Bryan ‘Colton’ Bowers ($500).

Marion Community Foundation, now in its 13th year, 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 www.marioncommunityfoundation.org.