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July 6, 2021 | By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan is awarding 10 incoming students with Choose Ohio First scholarships to support them in pursuing degrees in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Schimmel/Conrades Science Center is the home of OWU’s science majors. (Photo by Peter Howard Photography)

STEM Scholarships

Ohio Wesleyan Awards Choose Ohio First Funding to 10 Incoming Students

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University is awarding 10 incoming first-year students with Choose Ohio First scholarships to support them in pursuing bachelor’s degrees in the STEM fields of science (including medicine), technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Each scholarship is worth up to $22,000, if the recipients continue to pursue STEM degrees throughout their collegiate careers. Ohio Wesleyan’s 2021 Choose Ohio First (COF) recipients and their planned areas of study are:

  • Malcolm Henderson of Columbus. Henderson plans to study Astrophysics and Physics.
  • Geoffrey Kaminski of Lewis Center. Kaminski plans to study Pre-Medicine and Health and Human Kinetics.
  • Ava Kovach of Dublin. Kovach plans to study Pre-Veterinary Medicine and Pre-Professional Zoology.
  • Lydia Luna of Mount Vernon. Luna plans to study Zoology and Biology.
  • Nick Mankowski of Massillon. Mankowski plans to study Mathematics.
  • Carrinna Muncy of Obetz. Muncy plans to study Zoology and Psychology.
  • Anna Mussenden of Delaware. Mussenden plans to study Mathematics and Chemistry.
  • Rachel Peters of Copley. Peters plans to study Neuroscience and Psychology.
  • Maizy Pratt of Columbus. Pratt plans to study Microbiology and Genetics.
  • Haleigh Stover of Marion. Stover plans to study Genetics and Music Performance.

To be eligible for the new scholarships, applicants must be Ohio residents enrolling in one of Ohio Wesleyan’s 13 STEM-related academic areas and 29 related majors. In addition to the four-year renewable scholarships, the recipients also receive comprehensive career and support services as well as guaranteed internship and research opportunities.

Ohio Wesleyan’s Choose Ohio First scholarships are funded by a five-year, $830,466 grant awarded to the university in April by the State of Ohio and Ohio Department of Higher Education. The grant is part of a state initiative designed to “help create the talent needed to make Ohio’s businesses competitive in the 21st century knowledge economy.”

In announcing the new scholarships this spring, Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D., said: “We believe a strong liberal arts education prepares STEM students to work successfully toward the betterment of society and builds a foundation for a strong and stable economy. Our Choose Ohio First grant will create positive ripples that benefit Ohio for years to come.”

Learn more about the Choose Ohio First grant program at www.ohiohighered.org/cof and more about Ohio Wesleyan’s STEM-related majors and additional scholarship opportunities at owu.edu/admission.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more undergraduate majors than many universities its size and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature program, The OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at owu.edu.