51ĀŅĀ×

Legacy Scholarship recipient Molly Carrier and her parents, Les and Heather Carrier, both BBA ā€™92, pose with Rufus.

Many students are drawn to 51ĀŅĀ× for its beautiful scenery, exceptional academic programs and opportunities to engage in life-changing research. But for some Bobcats, their love for and connection to OHIO began long before they stepped onto the bricks of an 51ĀŅĀ× campus.

As children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of OHIO alumni, 51ĀŅĀ× Legacy Scholarship recipients are outstanding undergraduate students who continue the Bobcat tradition within their families and carry with them a deep appreciation for the University.

This yearā€™s Legacy Scholarship recipients are:

Grace Counts

A first-year student studying chemistry with a focus in pre-medicine, Grace Counts was a member of the Bobcat family from birth. Her parents attended and met at OHIO. Her older sister followed in her parentsā€™ footsteps, earning her undergraduate degree at OHIO and is now enrolled in the Universityā€™s Physician Assistant Practice masterā€™s degree program in Dublin, Ohio.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Grace Counts follows her parents and older sister in embarking on her 51ĀŅĀ× experience.

Counts feels grateful and excited for the opportunities available at OHIO. She is a student within the nationally recognized Honors Tutorial College and the 51ĀŅĀ× Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Early Assurance Program. The program provides highly talented students early admission to the medical school, academic enrichment opportunities and, for some, the option of earning their undergraduate and doctoral degrees in as few as seven years.

ā€œI honestly canā€™t remember a time when I didnā€™t want to be a doctor,ā€ Counts said. ā€œIā€™ve just always known thatā€™s what I wanted to do.ā€

Since starting her OHIO journey, Counts has found her Bobcat family on campus, noting the people and professors who have made her feel welcome since her very first tour of campus. Sheā€™s also found a plethora of opportunities to get involved in ways that feed her academic passions, joining Project for the Kids, which fundraises and generates awareness for children affected by terminal illnesses and disabilities, and a research group that is working with DNA.

ā€œI just have always felt like a Bobcat, and now I officially am one,ā€ Counts said.

Caroline Saracina

Although her mom is a Bobcat, Caroline Saracina had considered attending other universities with a smaller student body. It wasnā€™t until she toured OHIO with her mother on a ā€œperfect October dayā€ that she began to see 51ĀŅĀ× through her motherā€™s eyes and Athens as a potential home.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Caroline Saracina is sharing her OHIO experience with her Bobcat mom.

ā€œI started to realize all of the opportunities I would have here as compared to a smaller school,ā€ Saracina said.

A sophomore studying anthropology, Saracina has embraced many of those opportunitiesā€”both inside and outside of the classroomā€”and, in the process, has begun writing her own OHIO story.

After dipping her toes into a variety of coursework within different colleges to determine a field of study, she found her academic path, drawn to classes that discussed different cultures and world religions.

ā€œIā€™m learning so much,ā€ Saracina said. ā€œIn high school, itā€™s math, science, basic stuff, and now, Iā€™m learning about different people and ā€¦ different classmatesā€™ perspectives.ā€

Saracina is involved in Alpha Phi Omega, a community service fraternity, and works for the 51ĀŅĀ× Golf and Tennis Center.

For Saracina, the Legacy Scholarship has deepened her connection to her mother, to 51ĀŅĀ× and to the OHIO Alumni Association. After receiving the Legacy Scholarship, Saracina stopped into OHIOā€™s Konneker Alumni Centerā€”a visit that expanded her Bobcat family.

ā€œIt feels more like home to know that now I have a connection with the Alumni Center here,ā€ Saracina said.

Molly Carrier

A junior studying translational health exercise biology in the Honors Tutorial College, Molly Carrier is one of many Bobcats in her family, including her parents and two aunts.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Molly Carrier is following in the footsteps of both of her parents.

Although members of her family hoped she would continue the Bobcat tradition, they remained quiet, trying not to influence this life-changing decision. A campus tour and conversation with the dean of the Honors Tutorial College played an integral part in Carrierā€™s decision to attend OHIO.

ā€œIt was a really fantastic meeting, and thatā€™s when I knew I wanted to come here,ā€ Carrier said. ā€œI was like, this is for me; this is what I want.ā€

Carrier hasnā€™t been disappointed, noting the Honors Tutorial Collegeā€™s commitment to one-on-one engagement with faculty as well as opportunities in the STEM field and to do research that sheā€™s experienced.

In addition to excelling academically, Carrier is immersing herself in campus life, holding leadership positions in student organizations such as Diabetes Outreach, Support and Education for Students (DOSES) and 51ĀŅĀ× College Republicans. She also works part time as an introductory microbiology laboratory assistant, is studying for the Medical College Admission Test and will soon begin applying to medical schools.

Carrier noted that her family, though all proud Bobcats, pursued different hobbies and interests during their undergraduate years. Her father was in a business fraternity, her mother was a soccer player and one of her aunts was involved in sorority life.

ā€œWeā€™re all in different realms of OU,ā€ Carrier said. ā€œI think this is pretty cool because it brings our whole family together.ā€

Josie Waugh

Josie Waughā€™s OHIO experience began before she was bornā€”when her mother, a married commuter student two months pregnant with Waugh, graduated from 51ĀŅĀ×. More than 20 years later, Waugh is gearing up to become just the latest member of her family to receive a diploma from OHIO, following in the footsteps of her mother, uncle, two aunts and a cousin.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Josie Waugh and her mother, Charity Waugh, BFA ā€™96, are pictured in front of Donkey Coffee in Athens, Ohio.

A senior, Waugh was drawn to OHIO for its music therapy program.

ā€œItā€™s one of the best in the nation,ā€ Waugh said. ā€œThe faculty is great. The School of Music in general is wonderful. Iā€™m very happy.ā€

As a passionate musician and caring professional, Waugh aims to work as a music therapist for hospice care, supporting families during difficult times.

To prepare for her future career, Waugh has taken advantage of on-campus organizations and serves as a leader in music-affiliated clubs. She is the vice president of the American Music Therapy Association of Students (AMTAS) and the president of the 51ĀŅĀ× Singers. She also sings in the choir at First Christian Church in Athens, Ohio.

Hailing from a long lineage of OHIO graduates, Waugh expressed how special it is to be able to continue the legacy.

ā€œItā€™s just really wonderful to be able to bond with my family in that way,ā€ Waugh said.

* * *

The OHIO Alumni Association is accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Legacy Scholarship. For information and the online application form, click here. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.