Two new scholarships available at Marion Technical College
The new scholarships were established by Paul and Ellen Messenger and Barb and Rick Scott, and will support students pursuing agriculture careers and students who come from foster care backgrounds, respectively.
Marion Technical College is home to two new scholarships. The first, established by Paul and Ellen Messenger, is for students who are interested in pursuing careers in agriculture. The second, established by Barb and Rick Scott, is for students who have experienced foster care. Both scholarships are intended to make a college education more accessible to more individuals.
According to an article on Marion Technical College’s website about the Paul & Ellen Messenger Scholarship, Ryan McCall, the college’s president, was quoted as saying of the Messengers’ gift and its benefits, “Farming requires dedication and doggedness. The challenges for farmers keep mounting. Today’s farmers need to know about finances, computer applications, marketing and more. We value their investment in helping tomorrow's farmers get the tools they need to succeed.”
Paul Messenger is a farmer and Ellen Messenger is a communications specialist. The two have been married for 43 years after meeting at Ohio State Fair. Both grew up on family farms and are proponents for both agriculture careers and education.
Ellen earned degrees in animal science and communications from the Ohio State University, having received scholarships to allow her to attend.
Ellen said, “I would not have been able to go to college without the numerous scholarships that I earned. I still had to work my way through college, but the scholarships made a world of difference. My dad passed away when I was 10, so our family finances were tight, and college would have been out of reach without scholarships.”
Paul attended Morehead State University to earn a degree in animal science. He later returned to Marion to his family farm, where he raises crops, beef cattle, and sheep.
Ellen was the director of communications for Tri-Rivers Career Center until her retirement after 34 years. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Marion Technical College, teaching business and communications.
She said, “While at Tri-Rivers, I saw how the students easily transitioned to Marion Technical College after graduating from TRCC. They can earn college credits while in high school from MTC. The partnership between Tri-Rivers and Marion Technical College creates students a seamless pathway to degrees.”
The Messengers are both involved in their community. Paul was the past president of the Marion County Farm Bureau, the Sheep Improvement Committee, and the National Oxford Sheep Association. Ellen is president of the Marion Technical College Foundation Board of Directors and serves on the boards for Marion Noon Kiwanis, Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Marion County Historical Society. Both are also active in their church, where Paul was Staff Parish Relations Committee chair and Ellen was trustee and on the Administrative Council.
Ellen said of her and Paul’s life together, “Paul and I are truly partners. We’ve always been a team in everything we do. Now that I'm semi-retired, we enjoy working together on the farm and spending more time with family and friends. I also continue to enjoy doing part-time work in graphics and communications."
She added, “I believe so strongly in the MTC Foundation’s mission of supporting the College and its students by raising funds, cultivating alumni relations, and engaging the community. MTC is truly a gem and changes students’ lives.”
The Paul & Ellen Messenger Scholarship has been created for students who are graduates of a career technical school and who plan a career in an agriculture-related field.
Ellen said, “Agriculture is Ohio’s number one industry. It employs one out of every eight workers."
Paul added, “You don’t have food at the grocery store without us! We want to help students interested in one of the many ag-related jobs available in our state reach their goals."
Mike Stuckey, the director of the Marion Tech Foundation, said, “We truly appreciate this generous investment in our students. With challenging economic times, one scholarship can mean the difference between completing a degree and dropping out.”
In a separate article on Marion Technical College’s website about the Rising Pathways Scholarship, Amy Adams, who serves as the executive vice president at Marion Tech, was quoted as saying of the new scholarship, “This is a great way to break down barriers and help more students. This will continue to grow. We’re very excited to see this fund support students.”
The Rising Pathways Scholarship has been established by Barb and Rick Scott, both Marion Technical College alumni, who have become advocates for individuals who have experienced foster care. The scholarship aims to help these individuals achieve a college education, which is often out of reach due to systemic barriers.
Barb Scott said, “Involvement with Children’s Services is often generational. How do you break those generational curses? By helping youth and their families forge a new path. It’s abnormal for kids leaving foster care to graduate with a high school diploma, much less go on to higher education. We know many young people who beat the odds and are part of the 8–12% of former foster youth who graduate from college, and are so proud of them.”
The Scotts established the Rising Pathways Scholarship with matching funds from the Marion Technical College Foundation.
Mike Stuckey, the director of the Marion Tech Foundation, said, “Scholarships make a huge difference. Cost is the number one barrier for students. This really helps change lives.”
Barb said, “I have seen all the good things accomplished by people through hard times with support systems in place. Money should never be what stops a person from graduating. If we can do it for one person, it will make a difference.”
Barb received her Associate of Business Administration from Marion Technical College, and then went on to earn a bachelor degree and master’s degree from Franklin University. She is now a member of the Marion Alumni Hall of Fame and is a business and artificial intelligence faculty member.
Rick is a former Marion Tech Help Desk employee, and he worked at a homeless shelter in Columbus for 15 years. The whole family helped out at the homeless shelter.
Barb said, “Seeing how one individual can reach out and help just one other person and change their whole future—that is a passion for our family.”
Recently, Marion Technical College became certified for the Ohio Reach program through the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The Ohio Reach program gives Marion Tech a liaison who can support students with foster care or kinship experience, with help such as applying for scholarships and giving them access to an emergency fund.
Ryan McCall, the president of Marion Tech, said, “Our goal as a college is to meet every student where they are and help them succeed. We are thrilled with the new Ohio Reach designation and this wonderful new scholarship. This will change lives for those who experienced a tough start in life.”
For more information about Marion Technical College, visit the school’s website.