New HCEF scholarship rewards the community and school spirit of area seniors

New HCEF scholarship rewards the community and school spirit of area seniors
Submitted

West Holmes graduate Brittney Tyson received the HCEF West Holmes Spirit Scholarship. Spirit Scholarship winners are nominated by their respective school staffs, and like Tyson, each student receiving one shows a lot of school spirit and community involvement.

                        

The Holmes County Education Foundation has decided to get into the spirit of giving with its newest scholarship, and this one comes as a real surprise to the two high school senior recipients who will have the honor bestowed upon them.

Recently the Holmes County Education Foundation’s board of trustees voted to endow two new scholarships with a $100,000 gift. The new scholarships are the Spirit Hiland Scholarship and the Spirit West Holmes Scholarship. An amount of $50,000 was allocated to establish each scholarship. The four-year $1,000 renewable scholarships will be provided annually to one Hiland graduating senior and one West Holmes graduating senior.

“I actually got the idea for the Spirit Scholarships from my old high school, Geneva High School,” HCEF executive director Darla Stitzlein said. “We wanted to create a scholarship that rewarded students for their commitment to their community and to their school and really got involved and showed the spirit of their community.”

Unlike other scholarships administered by the Education Foundation, students did not specifically apply for this scholarship. If students applied for other foundation scholarships, then those students were eligible to be considered. Special consideration by East Holmes and West Holmes administration and personnel was given to nominate students who demonstrate school and community spirit from each of the Hiland and West Holmes applicant pools. The recipient was selected by the Holmes County Education Foundation’s board of trustees from the top-three nominations in each high school.

Having staff and administration submit names for the scholarships is something that Stitzlein said was paramount to the award and its meaning.

“The recipients didn’t even know they were nominated for the scholarship,” Stitzlein said. “The nominations come from the staff that sees them on an everyday basis. They recognize what kind of commitment these young people have made to the community and the spirit they exemplify.”

The 2018 Spirit Hiland Scholarship recipient is Jennifer Wood. Wood will major in mathematics at Baldwin Wallace University. In high school she was active in student council, National Honor Society, concert choir, varsity singers, tri-county honors choir, marching band, concert band and theater. She also served as a math class aide. After college graduation she hopes to return to the area and be involved in Hiland education and theater programs.

The 2018 Spirit West Holmes Scholarship recipient is Brittney Tyson. She will major in pre-medicine at the Ohio State University. Among being active in student council, National Honor Society, cheerleading, community service and health professions affinity community, she also served as a tutor to special needs students at Millersburg Elementary School and assisted with special athletes track and field day. After college graduation she hopes to return to the area and open her own practice as a physician’s assistant.

“Congratulations to Jennifer Wood and Brittney Tyson on their accomplishments, and we wish them all the best in their upcoming higher education,” Stitzlein said. “I am excited that our trustees got behind this scholarship because I believe it is very meaningful and worthwhile.”

Through the establishment of these newly endowed scholarships, East Holmes and West Holmes communities, Hiland and West Holmes high school class alumni and reunions, and Hiland and West Holmes student clubs now have the opportunity to help fund and grow these Spirit Scholarships. Donations may be made in several ways to help more Hawks and Knights pursue higher education opportunities in the future.

Donors can visit the foundation’s website at www.hcef.net and click the Give Now button to donate to the Spirit Hiland Scholarship or the Spirit West Holmes Scholarship listed in the drop-down menu of scholarship funds. Gifts can be made in honor of or in memory of individuals. Donations also may be mailed or delivered to the Holmes County Education Foundation, 114 N. Clay St., Millersburg, OH 44654.

Note the particular Spirit Scholarship in the memo. If you are a class reunion committee member/coordinator and would like more information regarding class donations, email Stitzlein at info@hcef.net or call 330-674-7303.

To apply for foundation scholarships, students can visit www.hcef.net beginning January 2019 for the 2019-20 academic year.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load