University of Cincinnati Clermont College annual Community Celebration Luncheon highlights scholarship funding

At the University of Cincinnati’s Clermont College’s annual Community Celebration Luncheon in late March, the school celebrated almost $600,000 in scholarships awarded in the 2022-23 school year. Students, alumni, staff, faculty, donors, and community partners were all in attendance. 

The luncheon highlighted the importance of donor-funded scholarships for the lives and education of UC Clermont students. Of the scholarships awarded in the 2022-23 academic year, nearly $186,000 was made up of donor-funded awards, while $410,000 was awarded in completion, leadership, and merit scholarships.

In an article posted on the school’s website, Dean Jeff Bauer’s welcome and address to the luncheon attendees was quoted as saying, “There is a great need here — this year alone we had 358 applicants for 77 donor scholarships. We project that we will receive more than 500 applications for next year. Our donors are critical to providing needed financial support to our students.”

Those in attendance at the luncheon also got the chance to hear from Ayla Deck, who is a scholarship recipient and a sophomore studying pre-middle childhood education. She received the Social Sciences Faculty Scholarship. Deck will graduate with her associate degree and a 3.8 GPA this semester from UC Clermont. She has plans to transfer to UC’s Uptown Campus this fall to continue her education with the goal of becoming a teacher. Currently, Deck works as a tutor to local high school students as well as fellow education majors.

More than half of UC Clermont students are the first in their family to go to college, and Deck is no exception.

She spoke on the benefits of scholarships, saying, “As a future educator, scholarship donors not only support my own education but the education of my future students. Your contributions have and will continue to spread like wildfire for many years to come.”

Chelsie Hornsby also spoke at the luncheon. She is UC Clermont’s 2023 Distinguished Alumnus. She graduated with an associate degree in pre-business administration back in 2003. Hornsby later went on to earn her bachelor’s degree, and is now working on earning her master’s degree in marketing. Hornsby has spent the past 14 years working in the healthcare industry and is currently working at HealthSource Ohio as the senior director of business development.

Hornsby spoke of her experience as a single mother who often struggled with money while she was a student, saying, “UC Clermont was where my education began; it launched my career. I was grateful for the opportunity and couldn’t imagine moving away, so UCC was perfect.”

In addition to these speakers, five new scholarship funds were highlighted during the event as well. Hal and Sandy Shervers, who are the founders of Sporty’s Academy, were also recognized at the event for the 30th anniversary of the school’s aviation technology program.

Sporty’s Academy is a pilot school that is located at the Clermont County Airport in Batavia, Ohio. The airport is less than a mile away from the UC Clermont campus. The pilot school is Federal Aviation Administration approved. Over the past 30 years, the program has expanded from serving only five students at a time to more than 100. The program offers an associate degree in piloting, as well as professional pilot certificate programs. The UC Clermont program is one of the top ten pilot training programs in the country, and during the 2021-22 academic year, was awarded $61,000 in scholarship funding to aviation students.

Dean Bauer also spoke on the aviation program, saying, “The 30th anniversary of UC Clermont's aviation program is a great example of a private/public partnership. The support of Sporty’s Academy, and the Shevers, have helped make this program among the best in the country.”

More information about the University of Cincinnati Clermont College can be found at the school’s website.