On Wednesday, April 16th, Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) and Ohio State Newark honored student leaders and organizations at the annual Scholarship and Student Leadership Dinner. The dinner provides donors the opportunity to interact first-hand with students impacted by their gifts while celebrating Newark campus students’ leadership and community impact. The scholarship and student leadership dinner is a great way for students to connect with leaders in our community, to gain a greater appreciation for the incredible philanthropy that fuels the Newark campus and to network with individuals in a variety of professional fields. 

During the recognition of scholarship recipients and donors we  heard from Melissa Molzan, a COTC scholarship recipient. Melissa shared about her journey and her gratefulness to the Newark campus and our donors. “I never would have believed that I would be in college, let alone receiving scholarships for the GPA and the work I put into my program. I will stand here today to tell anybody that anything's possible because of this”, Melissa stated.

Melissa then went on to announce her plan to help others, “I cannot wait to give back. So, with the help of Dr John Berry, I am opening a scholarship with my own money to help the next person reach their goals. I cannot wait to see where my career takes me and I cannot wait to help the next person.”

In her closing remarks Melissa urged for the generosity from others to continue, “Thank you to everybody in this room who has donated. Please keep donating and help other students reach their goals. I know what it's done for me, and it can do amazing things for other people!”

Congratulations to the students, student organizations, and faculty members on their achievements and awards for their hard work and dedication over the academic year. And thank you to all of our donors who make dreams become a reality for so many students.