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Ralph Amos
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By Ralph Amos
In light of all that
has transpired in America in recent months, I approached the task of
writing this column with much trepidation. The last thing I wanted to
do was send a message that could be perceived as out of step with the
new challenges we face as a nation and as an institution of higher education.
Each of us carries a considerable amount of sadness in our hearts in
the wake of September's terrorist attacks. At the same time, I believe
the events -- as horrific as they were -- provided a catalyst for the
renewed sense of pride and nationalism we now are experiencing.
As alumni and friends of Ohio University, we feel a similar pride in the University that has played such an important role in our lives. We also feel a desire to ensure that it is positioned to educate the next generation of citizens and world leaders, individuals who must be prepared to solve the problems that will confront future generations. Your University is the ideal training ground for these emerging leaders. It is where young adults learn about themselves and each other. It is here -- in the classrooms, on the greens and in the residence halls -- that they come to better understand the benefits of celebrating differences and debating through healthy and vigorous discussions the topics that may separate them. It is where they learn to live with one another. Alumni and friends can help the University develop these future leaders. As I shared in my last column, the Alumni Association's board of directors has identified five strategic directions that are helping to define and guide the programs and services offered by the organization, directions that support the University's mission. One key area is the development of new and the support of existing student scholarships. Impressive gains in the number and worth of scholarships available to Ohio University students have been made in recent years. Five years ago, the University presented 6,229 scholarship awards totaling nearly $7.27 million. In the 2001-02 academic year, 8,731 scholarship awards worth almost $12.5 million benefited students. Through the Bicentennial Campaign, we are hoping to raise $41 million for scholarships and fellowships. Of that amount, $35 million would fund scholarship programs and $6 million would create at least one endowed graduate student fellowship in every department with advanced degree programs.
Helping to fund scholarships is a tangible way for alumni to ensure that today's students are given the opportunity to experience an Ohio University education. Although a wide array of scholarships already exists, there are many opportunities to develop new ones based on specific areas of interest, disciplines, geography -- you name it. On a personal level, scholarships provide many students with the opportunity to gain an education that otherwise might not be accessible to them. On a global scale, they contribute to an enduring and meaningful legacy of knowledge that will help shape solutions to world problems. Our sense of unity and pride as a nation exists, in large part, because of the often-unacknowledged sacrifices of the numerous individuals who came before us. As alumni and friends of this University, we must ensure that future generations are sufficiently educated to face the challenges their world will pose. Scholarships can help in that education. On behalf of all of us at the Ohio University Alumni Association, I extend our deepest sympathies to all who suffered, and continue to suffer, as a result of the tragic events of Sept. 11. Ralph Amos is Ohio University's assistant vice president for alumni relations. |
