WILMINGTON — Wilmington College seeks to reward Eagle Scouts and Gold Award recipients from the area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts with a $1,500 scholarship that recognizes the leadership skills inherent with those prestigious certifications.
The College is offering — as part of its aid package for entering students — a bonus to any member of the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts who has attained these highest of honors. This is in addition to scholarships, grants and other financial aid for which they may qualify.
The non-renewable financial awards are available to any number of qualified Eagle Scouts and Gold Award recipients each year. Typically, only 4 to 6 percent of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts attain Eagle Scout status and the Gold Award, respectively.
Dennis Kelly, Senior Vice President/Chief Enrollment Officer, said the new award becomes available for students entering WC beginning the fall 2019 semester.
It amounts to $1,000 for any member of the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts across the nation who attains the Gold Award or Eagle Scout designation. However, they are eligible for $1,500 if they belong to the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio or the Tecumseh/Simon Kenton councils of Boy Scouts.
“The values embraced by the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts — especially by those who attain the Gold Award and Eagle Scout designation — closely match many of Wilmington College’s core values,” Kelly said. “We want to recognize those that espouse such characteristics as excellence, integrity, leadership and service/civic engagement.”
Kelly formally announced the establishment of the award when the College hosted recent gatherings on campus of officials from the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio and the Tecumseh/Simon Kenton councils.
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio serves 42,000 girls in a district encompassing 32 counties — including Clinton — from Cincinnati to Toledo.
Simon Kenton Council serves boys in a district comprised of 17 counties from the Ohio River to north of Columbus, while the Tecumseh Council represents scouts in Clinton, Greene, Clark, Champaign and Logan counties.
Sara Mumford, a Gold Award recipient from Beavercreek and a sophomore at WC, reflected upon the significant role her 13 years in Girl Scouts has played in her life.
“I look back and smile when I think about everything I did in Girl Scouts,” Mumford said. She noted that many of the skills and experiences gained in the organization are facilitating her success in college — with the expectation those attributes will play positive roles in her future career and life success.
Tecumseh Council’s Brook Edwards, the District Unit Commissioner and den leader for Pack 777 in Wilmington, is a WC alumnus who serves as the College’s Student Resource Center manager. He is pleased the institution is reaching out to the Boy Scouts with the scholarship.
“Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned — fairness, equality, getting the job done — I’ve learned or had reinforced through Scouting,” he said. “I know of no other organization that instills these core values and skills that have such an impact on quality of life and future involvement in the community.”
