Ohio University is the school of choice for 10 recipients of the 2021 The Gates Foundation-Ross County Scholar’s Fund
The newest class of The Gates Foundation-Ross County Scholar’s Fund recipients has been announced. The Foundation awarded scholarships to 14 students, 10 of whom plan to attend Ohio University.
Larry Gates and his wife, Mary, established the fund in 2004 to help Ross County students pursue their ambitions.
Since the first scholarships were awarded, more than 230 grants have been given to deserving Ross County students. The 2021 recipients mark the 18th class of scholars.
Of the current scholarship recipients, seven will attend the Ohio University Athens campus this fall, three are enrolled at Ohio University Chillicothe, and the remaining four students will attend other universities in Ohio.
Through this scholarship fund, the Gates’ have captured the spirit of the Ross County region and have put in practice the value of “paying it forward.”
“Our decision to support scholarships is driven by a strong belief in young people and the power of education. Some of the joys of this undertaking have been the wonderful people we have met, especially the scholarship recipients and their families,” they said. “To see these young people go forward and have successful academic and professional careers is tremendously rewarding. People often ask if we would do it again, and the answer is unequivocally yes.”
The recipients and their enrolled institutions include: Sarah Beck, Ohio University Athens; Lauren Finney, Miami (Ohio) University; Kayla Fitzpatrick, Ohio University Chillicothe; Kiana Fitzpatrick, Bowling Green State University, David Hirsch, Ohio State University; Meghann Leedy, Ohio University Athens; Gabriel Mallow, Ohio University Athens; Sarah Massie, Ohio State University; Conor McMahon, Ohio University Chillicothe; Autumn Mohan, Ohio University Athens; Nickolas Nesser, Ohio University Chillicothe; Joshua Parker, Ohio University Athens; Chris Postage, Ohio University Athens; and Jarrett Seebohm, Ohio University Athens.
Gates Foundation Directors include Nicole McLaughlin, Michelle Shanholtzer, Matthew Haller, Kimberly Hirsch, Nancy Harris, Jack Jeffery and Valerie Miller.
Mr. Gates has been active in the Chillicothe community and with Ohio University. He has served as chairman of the Regional Coordinating Council at OUC and served on the board of directors for the Ohio University Foundation in Athens. Additionally, he worked to develop the concept for the Entrepreneur Center at OUC and served as fundraising chairman for Ohio University Chillicothe Child Development Center.
The donor-advised fund is administered by the Ohio University Foundation, the private fundraising arm of the university. More information on the Gates Foundation-Ross County Scholar’s Fund is available online at ohio.edu/gatesscholarship/.