Experience as a Voinovich Scholar was life-changing for regional leader

Cara Dingus Brook ’03 MPA ‘06 relishes the joy found in being part of a team advancing great things in the future.

Born and raised in Lawrence County, Ohio, Brook has spent more than 20 years in philanthropy, rising to her current position as the president and CEO of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, which in 2024 disbursed more than $6 million to various initiatives in the region’s 32 counties.

The seed for helping was planted during her first year Ohio University when she was chosen as a Voinovich Undergraduate Research Scholar, a highly selective program run by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service that pairs students with career preparation opportunities and research skills. For Brook, it was a life-changing experience.

“If it were not for the Voinovich Scholars program, there's no doubt in my mind I would not be working in philanthropy,” she says.

Voinovich Scholars generally work 10-15 hours per week each semester or in the summer, some working closely with Voinovich School faculty doing research. Others, like Brook, jump headfirst into a professional experience.

Brook was placed at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio as a Voinovich Scholar, a fortuitous experience that eventually brought her back to the foundation full-time as president and CEO in 2007.

“Being a student writing a paper for a grade is nice, but when you can use those talents of writing to help someone or to help an organization get funding or to recognize something that matters,” says Brook, who was also a member of the Honors Tutorial College. “I was hooked on the fact that the skills I was learning in the classroom could impact the community I loved.”

Growing up in Appalachia, Brook took notice of the lack of opportunities for the area’s residents, such as food insecurity and lack of jobs, but having a career in philanthropy never occurred to her before she became a Voinovich Scholar.

“When you're in college and trying to think of what I am gonna do with my life, to give young people an opportunity to serve and to serve alongside others is exceptional,” she says. “The Voinovich Scholars program absolutely excels at that, and I’m so grateful.”