Junior Kayleigh Stelling is a first-generation student who’s making the most of her OHIO experience.
She seizes opportunities for professional growth, double-majoring in screenwriting/producing and psychology because, she says, “why not just learn a little more,” and putting her skills to the test on “Fridays Live,” produced by student-run AVW Productions.
She’s also learning life lessons in working hard and making ends meet.
Stelling came to OHIO with scholarships—assistance, she says, that played a significant factor in her college choice—and was later awarded a Dean’s Scholarship. She works as a multimedia specialist at Alden Library—earning a wage while expanding her skillset. And, she took the advice of her academic advisor and applied for the Bryant (BSC ’96, MBA ’99) and Irma Austin Scholarship.
The Austins created the scholarship to help promising young scholars in the Scripps College of Communication.
“I’m extremely grateful that donors like these continue to remember the students here, students who aren’t any less deserving but who need that extra help,” Stelling said.
The Austin Scholarship is one of over 155 endowed scholarship accounts established since 2013, thanks to donors who maximized their student support by giving through The OHIO Match. Ohio University has pledged up to $25 million for this historic investment in student accessibility and affordability, partnering with donors to provide $0.50 in matching funds for every dollar committed to eligible scholarship endowments.
For Stelling, the Austin Scholarship means money for tuition, books, rent, and, most importantly, “I will owe a lot less by the time I graduate.”