BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Community Foundation for Crawford County recently awarded over $219,000 in scholarships to both graduating seniors and current college students. As President Lisa Workman explained, “We know that higher education attainment levels directly correlate to higher earnings, lower unemployment rates, and improving the state’s financial position.” In 2024, the year for which the latest data is available, the Lumina Foundation reported that Crawford County had increased its education attainment level by 1.9% from the prior year, moving from 26.7% in 2022 to 28.6% in 2023. The numbers are based on working-age residents between 25 – 64 years of age. According to the Ohio Department of Higher Education, even a 5% increase in educational attainment could improve the state’s financial position by $500 million per year.

Scholarships were distributed as follows either during individual school ceremonies or via mail:

  • Alyssa Pine Memorial Scholarship – Brynn Bruner (Colonel Crawford) and Ryan Wise (Wynford)
  • Arlene H. Smith Scholarship – Alexis Dure (Colonel Crawford), Jillian Capretta (2025 Galion grad attending Baldwin Wallace University), Nathan Rabun (2024 Wynford grad attending Wittenburg University), Carly Kent (Galion), Abbigail Martin (2023 Colonel Crawford grad attending North Central State College), and Rylee Robinson (Wynford)
  • Blake Robert Fleure Memorial Scholarship – Ashley Franks (Galion)
  • Bucyrus High School Class of 1971 Scholarship – Hannah Delong (2023 Crestline grad attending Cleveland State University)
  • Crawford County Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship – Elliott Freyman (Galion), Payne DeGray (Colonel Crawford), Rylee Robinson (Wynford), Sophia Martin (Buckeye Central), Adalyn Zornes (Bucyrus), and Brett Cheney (Crestline)
  • Crawford Forward Scholarship – Shelby Cumston (Galion)
  • Daryl E. Stucky Memorial Scholarship – Cade Farrell (Wynford)
  • Dorothy Sherer Flohr Scholarship – Abbigail Martin (2023 Colonel Crawford grad attending North Central State College)
  • Doug and Renee Leuthold Scholarship –Christian Neal (Bucyrus), Raven Sharrock (2025 Colonel Crawford grad attending The Ohio State University), Harley Howell (2021 Galion grad attending North Central State College), Victoria Hiler (2024 Buckeye Central-PCTC grad attending Wilmington College), Miranda Stone (2024 Galion grad attending Ashland University), Rosalyn Johnson (2022 Bucyrus grad attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University), Tanner Alsept (2021 Bucyrus grad attending Tiffin University), Dekon Harper (2024 Wynford grad attending Ohio Wesleyan University), Elizabeth Schubert (2024 Crestline grad attending Kent State University), Camryn Schafer (2020 Buckeye Central grad attending North Central State College), Grace Everett (2024 Wynford grad attending The Ohio State University), Emma Kirby (2022 Crestline grad attending University of Akron), Tricia Gies (1996 Yuba City High School grad attending Cleveland State University), Brooklyn Penwell (Galion), Shaylyn Hipsher (Galion), Jillian Capretta (2025 Galion grad attending Baldwin Wallace University), Kaya Capretta (2023 Galion grad attending University of Cincinnati), Jakob Fishel (2024 Crestline grad attending The Ohio State University), Emma Von Der Hofen (2023 Galion grad attending University of Cincinnati), and Amanda Poland (1995 Colonel Crawford grad attending Southern New Hampshire University)
  • Dr. Joseph and Susan Shadeed Scholarship – Giselle Risner (2024 Wynford grad attending North Central State College), Harley Howell (2021 Galion grad attending North Central State College), and Jakob Fishel (2024 Crestline grad attending The Ohio State University)
  • Dr. Laurie Anne Rhodebeck Memorial Scholarship – Brooklyn Penwell (Galion) and Logan Hanes (2023 Buckeye Central grad attending The Ohio State University)
  • Dustin T. Stover – Sydney Stirm (Colonel Crawford) and Cade Farrell (Wynford)
  • Glen and Alice Beers Scholarship – Kaiden Sharrock (2015 Colonel Crawford grad attending Capital University Law School), Lynae McKibben (2024 Colonel Crawford grad attending University of Evansville), Amanda Poland (1995 Colonel Crawford grad attending Southern New Hampshire University), Carley Zender (2025 Colonel Crawford grad attending University of Findlay), Dekon Harper (2024 Wynford grad attending Ohio Wesleyan University), Jakob Fishel (2024 Crestline grad attending The Ohio State University), Grant Shook (2019 Buckeye Central grad attending The Ohio State University), Kaya Capretta (2023 Galion grad attending University of Cincinnati), and Emma Von Der Hofen (2023 Galion grad attending University of Cincinnati)
  • Holmes Liberty Alumni Scholarship – Jacob Wagner (Wynford)
  • James E. Huggins, Sr. and Margaret M. Huggins Agricultural Scholarship – Elizabeth Schubert (2024 Crestline grad attending Kent State University) and Brock Saam (Wynford)
  • Jan and Al Fulton Scholarship – Hannah Grunkemeyer (2025 Crestline grad attending Ursuline College)
  • Jeanne A. and Don A. Miller Scholarship – Michael Stover (Wynford)
  • John W. Brubaker, Jr. Scholarship – Alexis Farnwalt and Emma Graves (both Bucyrus)
  • Kenneth Cummins Scholarship – Ava Presler, Angela Figueroa, Savannah Pace, Olivia Bishop, and Macy Deppen (all Buckeye Central)
  • Kevin A. Binau Scholarship – Bailey Rossman and Sydney Stirm (both Colonel Crawford)
  • Kiwanis Kahle-Wenner Scholarship – Adalyn Zornes (Bucyrus), Alexis Dure (Colonel Crawford), and Bailey Betts (Colonel Crawford)
  • L. Earl Smith Scholarship – Victoria Hiler (2024 Buckeye Central grad attending Wilmington College), Elizabeth Schubert (2024 Crestline grad attending Kent State University), Brock Saam (Wynford), Kellen Burger (Buckeye Central), Sydney Stirm (Colonel Crawford), and Dekon Harper (2024 Wynford grad attending Ohio Wesleyan University)
  • Life of Service Scholarship – Ella Collene (Buckeye Central)
  • Margaret and Donald Wenner, MD Scholarship – Christian Neal, Haylee Stratton, Adalyn Zornes,  Hudson Boggs, Alexis Farnwalt, and Kyle Pifer (all Bucyrus), Rosalyn Johnson (2022 Bucyrus grad attending Mount Vernon Nazarene University), Tanner Alsept (2021 Bucyrus grad attending Tiffin University), Adacyn Rister (2023 Bucyrus grad attending The Ohio State University), Lily Pifer (2024 Bucyrus grad attending Marion Technical College), Brooklyn Penwell and Shaylyn Hipsher (both Galion), Raven  Sharrock (2025 Colonel Crawford grad attending The Ohio State University, Miranda Stone (2024 Galion grad attending Ashland University), Grace Everett (2024 Wynford grad attending The Ohio State University), Jillian Capretta (2025 Galion grad attending Baldwin Wallace University), Kaya Capretta (2023 Galion grad attending University of Cincinnati), Emma Von Der Hofen (2023 Galion grad attending University of Cincinnati), Amanda Poland (1995 Colonel Crawford grad attending Southern New Hampshire University), and Emma Kirby (2022 Crestline grad attending University of Akron)
  • Marvis Schaaf Scholarship – Ashley Franks (Galion), Alexis Dure (Colonel Crawford), and Angela Figueroa (Buckeye Central)
  • Merle and Peg Hutson Scholarship – Natalie Guiler, Brett Cheney, and Kori Nechovski (all Crestline) and Hannah Delong (2021 Crestline grad attending Cleveland State University)
  • Mount Zion Milton Harman Scholarship – Brock Saam (Wynford)
  • Nancy Angene Johnson Scholarship – Brock Saam (Wynford) and Briar Ridge (2025 Wynford grad attending The Ohio State University-Marion)
  • Noah Skylar Lear Scholarship – Megan Stockmaster (2017 Colonel Crawford grad attending University of Findlay)
  • Pry Scholarship – Spring Semester Award: Rachelle Wade (2003 Galion-PCTC grad attending North Central State College), Jeremiah Woodmansee (1997 Galion grad attending Southern New Hampshire University), and Daylen Balliett (2020 Colonel Crawford grad attending The Ohio State University); Summer Semester Award: Jeremiah Woodmansee (1997 Galion grad attending Southern New Hampshire University), Rachelle Wade (2003 Galion-PCTC grad attending North Central State College), Aizlyn Green (2021 Wynford-PCTC grad attending Wayne State University), and Lilith Keller (2020 Bucyrus grad attending the Crawford Success Center of North Central State College)
  • Richard A. Miller Scholarship – Brett Cheney, Natalie Guiler and Kori Nechovski (all Crestline)
  • Richard E. Stearns Scholarship – Courtney Woerlein (2024 Galion grad attending Bowling Green State University)
  • Robert Schwaderer Scholarship – Kellen Burger (Buckeye Central), Samantha Utz (2025 Buckeye Central grad attending The Ohio State University-ATI), and Logan Hanes (2023 Buckeye Central grad attending The Ohio State University)
  • Rollie and Esther Wilson Scholarship – Bailey Betts (Colonel Crawford-PCTC) and Rylie Hoepf (Colonel Crawford)
  • Schiefer Family Scholarship – Cade Farrell (Wynford)
  • Stan and Carolyn DeGreve Scholarship – Brett Cheney (Crestline), Jakob Fishel (2024 Crestline grad attending The Ohio State University) and Hannah Delong (2021 Crestline grad attending Cleveland State University)
  • Tyler Niese Memorial Scholarship – Sophia Martin, Alec Phillips, and Maren McDougal (all Buckeye Central)
  • Wynford FFA Rising Sun Scholarship – Emily Schuster, Cole Brown, Brock Saam (all Wynford) and Martin Schuster (2025 Wynford grad attending Vanderbilt University)

According to Rachel Jarvis, the Foundation’s Program & Office Manager, “These results are from 38 scholarship funds held here at the Foundation. Of the 137 individual scholarships awarded, $105,250, or about 48%, went to college students, and 30 of them were renewals. We are thrilled to see that college students from Crawford County still apply for our scholarships and hope that keeping their college debt down will also help prevent drop-out. Applicants just need to remember that they must reapply each year and be chosen in order to receive the award.”

Most of the Foundation’s scholarships are available for online application from November – March of each year. Visit www.cfcrawford.org to learn more about the scholarships offered at the Foundation and check out former winners.

Make sure to follow the Foundation on Facebook and Instagram for their upcoming Scholarship Recipient Spotlight post series, which highlights each of this year’s scholarship winners.