Investing in their own communities, Kent State University’s Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center (TAC) Advisory Board members reached their goal in raising $25,000 this year to endow their namesake scholarship. Now and for generations to come, the Kent State University Geauga and TAC Advisory Board Endowed Scholarship will assist first-generation college students and other Kent State Geauga/TAC students experiencing difficulty in paying for their higher education.
The regional campus’ commitment as a source for social good is embodied in its advisory boards, whose volunteer members are dynamic leaders from each representative community. With a mission to advise, advocate and build community connectivity, members are local liaisons, bringing valuable insight and resources to the two KSU Geauga locations in Burton and Twinsburg.
Raising funds over the past five years, AB members met their goal in 2023 with the commitment to enhance the scholarship endowment through ongoing contributions. This ensures that deserving students from Geauga and Summit counties can continue to receive relief from the financial burdens associated with pursuing a college education.
“Amongst all of the initiatives and goals to consider each year, the advisory board members always have the students and their future success in mind,” says Twinsburg financial planner Angelo V. Carcioppolo, Chairman of the Kent State TAC Advisory Board.
“To have an opportunity where the board itself could create and fund its own scholarship each year to allow us to give back and support students makes it an easy goal to prioritize and support the mission and purpose of the advisory board.”
Longtime healthcare executive Richard J. Frenchie, founder of The Frenchie Consulting Group in Chagrin Falls and Chairman of the Kent State Geauga Advisory Board, adds, “Kent State University is a valued educational resource and community asset in Northeast Ohio. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as an Advisory Board member and Chairman for more than two decades.”
This scholarship was initiated in 2019, explains Becki Gierman, KSU Geauga/TAC Associate Director of External Relations. “Since then, Advisory Board members have simultaneously contributed to the endowment while raising funds to award $3,500 in scholarships over the last four years. By reaching the $25K goal, the endowment will start earning investment income in perpetuity that will be distributed to the AB scholarship fund for many years to come.”
In addition to the scholarship, Advisory Board fundraising also supports Rising Scholars, a college access program designed to give first-generation students from Geauga and Summit Counties and surrounding areas a pathway to achieving a degree in higher education at no cost to participants.
Two AB scholarships are awarded annually; one for a Geauga student and one for a TAC student, each having earned a minimum of 12 credit hours with a 2.5+ GPA. Scholarship money may cover costs associated with attending Kent State Geauga/TAC, including tuition, fees, books, and supplies.
To qualify for this scholarship, enrolled students may apply through Kent State ScholarshipUniverse, an online scholarship matching tool that identifies relevant scholarships based on each student’s personalized profile.
For the 2022-2023 academic year, BSN nursing student Wayne Nieh was awarded a $1,000 Geauga Advisory Board Scholarship. In addition to being an exemplary student and accomplished researcher, Wayne is President of the Geauga Student Nurse Association, President of the Geauga Gardener Club, Student Ambassador of the Office of Student Research, Student Leadership Intern of Delta Xi Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and member of the Oncology Nursing Society.
In his Spring 2023 speech, Wayne called attention to the impact the scholarship made for him: “As the first person in my family who is dedicated to pursuing higher education in college, I want to express my sincere thankfulness to my scholarship donors,” he said.
“As an immigrant in the United States, my family has worked hard to overcome financial, cultural, and language challenges, and I have been studying very hard to overcome academic challenges. However, I am very thankful for the obstacles and challenges, for they have not only strengthened my character, which shaped me to be the person I am today, but have also helped me to realize the value of a college education.
“Dear Donors, your support has helped me to succeed in nursing school and continue to work on my nursing research and honors thesis. The scholarship awards will also give me the opportunity to learn nursing skills, critical thinking, and therapeutic communication skills through nursing courses, clinical rotations, and nursing research. I will certainly work hard to … contribute my best in serving our community.”
Chairman Frenchie sees Wayne and all AB scholarship recipients as the fulfillment of the board’s enduring promise to prioritize students: “Creating a fully endowed fund to support ongoing scholarships to the students will serve as a catalyst for future endowments to further support our students. There is no better investment than fostering student success. Students are the future.”
Chairman Carcioppolo agrees. “I believe any advisory board or group of volunteers always has to lead by example. With that in mind, growing this scholarship is a great step in our ability to support students and grow our impact in the local communities, and the success of this scholarship initiative further demonstrates the type of impact we are looking to have.”