Nationwide has a longstanding commitment to diversity and education, particularly in supporting young individuals from Ohio. As part of this commitment, Nationwide has awarded four Ohio University students with Diversity First Awards, aimed at recognizing and celebrating diversity, provide financial support, and enable students to focus on their studies and prepare for their careers.
"OHIO is committed to embracing, celebrating, and supporting the diversity of our students and ensuring their success. Nationwide shares that commitment and we're appreciative of and honored by their continued support,” said Dr. Russell Morrow, interim vice president of the Division of Diversity and Inclusion at OHIO.
In total, Nationwide gifted $10,000 to OHIO students Aanya Datta, Alyssa Cruz, Grace Cobb and Mirage’A Lamb.
“It is wonderful to see a corporation like Nationwide, which is headquartered just down the road from OHIO University in Columbus, not only doing good in the community but giving back to universities and helping build student success,” said Caryn Bailey, director of development, major giving, OHIO. “In addition to ensuring OHIO students make strides toward obtaining an excellent education that will be with them for a lifetime through providing meaningful scholarships, Nationwide is also recruiting students to join their team through internships. These student internships can potentially turn into career opportunities within Nationwide.”
Nationwide has had a partnership with OHIO for many years prior to the establishment of the scholarship program. The company has been collaborating with the university on various initiatives and has consistently recognized the potential of OHIO students, frequently offering internships and career opportunities to them.
“Nationwide has had great success with OHIO students who have come here to work,” Kelton Kline, vice president for integrated digital services and an OHIO alum, said. “We usually find 8-10 great students from OHIO every year to join us as interns, and many of those go on to become Nationwide employees after they graduate.”
According to Kline, who interned himself at Nationwide while a student at OHIO, there is a dedicated team within Nationwide that focuses on recruiting from OHIO, specifically for their technology internship recruiting.
Nationwide understood that investing in education was not just a corporate responsibility but also a way to build a stronger, more diverse workforce. By providing financial support through the Diversity First Awards, the company saw an opportunity to help students excel academically and gain valuable skills that would benefit not only themselves but also the communities they would one day serve.
“At Nationwide, we believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to our success as a business,” Kline said. “Our inclusive culture supports every associate's success, and encourages an environment where they can feel challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged.”
The scholarships were awarded in late August, with a recognition ceremony held on Sept. 22 where Nationwide representatives were able to meet and congratulate all the winners.
Nationwide continually recruits OHIO students and will be on campus throughout the fall to talk to students about opportunities and internships at the organization.
Read more about each recipient:
Datta is a senior studying Psychology and minoring in Community and Public Health. She is a research assistant in two labs on campus, the RAP and BRAIN labs, and is currently working to present her thesis on the efforts of depression on the onset of dementia in older adults. She is part of the Ohio Honors Program, the senior representative of the Margaret Body Scholars Program and a LINKS Peer Mentor. She is also a Global Ambassador for OHIO admissions, primarily focusing on mentoring incoming international students as they transition to life in Athens and the U.S.
Cruz is a current junior at Ohio University studying journalism and Spanish with a concentration in Latin American Studies and Diversity Studies. She is the Culture Editor for The Post, an independent, student-run newspaper based in Athens, Ohio, where she writes, manages and published stories that lean toward human interest, gender and sexuality, multicultural perspectives, and the local city scene. In addition to her role as the Culture Editor, she serves as the founder and head of The Post's multilingual department. This department works to translate stories that are relevant to non-English speaking communities into their preferred language. She also serves as peer mentor for the Office of Multicultural Success and Retention.
Cobb is a junior studying in Virtual Reality and Game Development. Alongside her tech pursuits, she enjoys digital art and video editing in her free time. Her passion lies in merging creativity with technology.
Lamb is a third year studying Information and Telecommunication Systems. She enjoys reading and interacting with people on campus. One of her favorite places on campus is Schoonover Center as she is a part of the McClure School. In addition to her love of the campus, she is thrilled to be a part of the community that surrounds it as well.
