“My little ones will see their mommy walk across that stage and into a better life for all of us. My parents will see their youngest child be the first person in the family to have graduated college.”
And, in the midst of her spring 2019 graduation, Charli Chaffin says she will be “thinking of all the donors and thanking them for helping me accomplish this goal in my life.”
It’s a goal set four years ago when this mother of two left a steady job to pursue a nursing degree and a brighter future. It’s a goal threatened last year when divorce eliminated over half of Chaffin’s income. It’s a goal put back on track, thanks to donor-funded scholarships that help Ohio University Southern students achieve what at times has felt unachievable.
In fiscal year 2018, donors contributed nearly $266,000 to scholarships that support students on OHIO’s regional campuses.
Chaffin is the recipient of the Clifford E. and Jean Peters Allen Scholarship and the Ironton Child Welfare Club Scholarship. Both were established to help students wanting to pursue a higher education afford that opportunity.
“If it wasn’t for the scholarships I received this year, it would have been rough to make my last year of nursing school happen,” Chaffin says. “Financially, I wouldn’t have been able to get all the required items for my program to graduate. … These scholarships really mean the world to me and my family.”