Clark State Community College will hold Scholarship Recognition Night on Friday, September 22 at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center in downtown Springfield.
“The purpose of the event is to recognize our scholarship recipients for this year and also thank the donors, many of them community members, who make these scholarships possible for our students,” said Catherine Maher, executive director of the Clark State Foundation.
The Clark State Foundation has awarded $168,817 in scholarships so far this academic year to 103 students who will be honored at the event along with the recipients of the Trustee Scholarships, Champion City Scholars, Choose Ohio First Scholarships and Tech Prep Scholarships.
JoVon Taylor is from Fairborn, Ohio, and enrolled in Clark State in 2016. She is completing the Medical Assisting program and received the Frontier Scholarship and Gerald Furay Scholarship. Taylor will also be speaking at Scholarship Recognition Night.
“I feel privileged and honored to have been chosen,” she said. “I will speak about how grateful I am for the support I've received both financially and emotionally.”
She wants fellow Clark State students to know that getting a degree is a goal that can be achieved with the right amount of support, diligence and proper use of resources.
Maher said the scholarship funds can be used for tuition, fees and books for students at Clark State. The Clark State Foundation has more than 60 different restricted scholarships that have been established by donors and businesses in our community.
“The criteria for each scholarship is determined by the donor and often takes into consideration the program of study, financial need and academic merit,” said Maher. “At this event, many of the students get a chance to meet the donors who provided their scholarship, which is often a special experience for both parties.”
Clark State Foundation Board Chairman Steve Neely believes all have opportunities to give back to their communities and being on the Foundation Board has been his.
“Clark State is a wonderful educational option in our community, and it is part of what makes Springfield a great place to live and raise a family,” he said.
Neely, president of Armoloy of Ohio, Inc. encourages scholarship recipients to work hard, stay focused and don’t get discouraged. “Also, always do your best, as you never know who is watching you.”
Scholarship Recognition Night will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, 275 South Limestone Street, Springfield, Ohio.