CECH Scholarship Recipients

Growing up in Mason, OH as the second of eleven children, Regan Connors is accustomed to a tight-knit community. That has not changed during his freshman year at the Transition and Access Program (TAP) at CECH. Housed within the School of Education, TAP provides a four-year college education for students with mild to moderate intellectual or developmental disabilities. TAP embraces the University of Cincinnati’s strategic direction, Next Lives Here, making a positive impact on the world through the promotion of diversity and inclusion.

For Regan, the “TAP into the Future” scholarship, established last year by donors Brian & Elizabeth Burress, has been incredibly impactful. “Thank you for creating a scholarship for students within the TAP program. It makes me feel very appreciated that you think I worked hard at my job, and therefore, you think I deserved earning a scholarship.”

Regan hopes this scholarship can help propel him to a career in either the sports world or the great outdoors, and he is well on his way to achieving that dream. “I think it would be good for you to know that I earned the Dean’s list for the fall semester… I’m really enjoying living independently in the dorm, getting involved with clubs, and attending UC sports.”

Like all students, Regan is working hard to persevere through the adversity presented by the COVID-19 crisis, but one driving force to keep him motivated is his CECH scholarship. “I want you to know that I’m going to use this [scholarship] as motivation to keep working hard and to prove to you and everybody else that I earned this.”

Congratulations, Regan!  

“Aya! Mihi neewe” (Hello! Many thanks). That is the message, delivered loud and clear from Lauren Swaidner, upon learning of her receipt of the Dr. Nancy Evers Educational Leadership Award. As an enrolled member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Lauren’s journey to CECH was a winding one, but she could not be more thrilled to be here.

“I graduated in 2013 from Miami University. Upon graduating, I joined Teach for America—South Dakota and was placed on the incredible Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation. In South Dakota, I taught for 5 years.

After our 5 years on the reservation, my husband and I made the decision to move back closer to home so that our son would grow up near family. Currently, we live in Columbus, where I am in my second year as the Director of Scholar Life at United Preparatory Academy—State St.”

As an experienced teacher and young administrator, the Nancy Evers Education Leadership Award is a perfect fit for Lauren. “This scholarship will allow me to continue to pursue my Master’s in Education in Educational Leadership with a concentration in principal leadership. I cannot adequately express my gratitude for this opportunity. It is a true honor to be receiving this award. I will strive to represent the ideals and values that Dr. Evers left behind in [her] many years in education. Mihi neewe for [her] service and impact on the field of education, and mihi neewe for the Dr. Evers Educational Leadership Award.”

Congratulations, Lauren!

Originally from Columbus, OH, Jalela Jallaq was interested in attending UC to follow in the footsteps of her mother, and alumnae. Beyond that, she was drawn to CECH by the reputation of the School of Criminal Justice. Now, three years into her college experience, she has been awarded the scholarship established by the school’s driving force for over 30 year, Dr. Edward Latessa.

"Dr. Latessa, I would like to personally thank you for your generous scholarship. As a full-time college student, working two jobs, involved in extracurricular activities, and paying my own tuition, it is so meaningful to me to receive financial support in order to help me focus on being a student.”

After graduating with her degree from UC, Jalela plans to attend law school, and work on behalf of incarcerated inmates. This passion stems from a recent internship with the Washington, DC Corrections Information Council. “We helped inmates find the tools and resources they needed to navigate their reentry into society. We went to the DC jail and met with inmates to discuss questions, comments, or concerns they had. I also went to FCI Hazelton Prison and interviewed inmates about their conditions and treatment. Once we collected all the feedback, we thought of solutions for improving the conditions and presented them to the board of the prison. This scholarship is very meaningful to me because it allows for me to have the finical support towards my education as well as towards experiences like my internship. I am so grateful for the financial support of my education.”

Congratulations, Jalela!

As a first-year student, Corin Manning has jumped into her college experience with both feet! Hailing from Cleveland, OH, Corin is a Darwin T. Turner scholar and now the proud recipient of the Nabila Hassan Honorary Scholarship, established by the Director of the School of IT, Dr. Hazem Said.

“Thank you so much for your generous award. This definitely will help me continue on my Information Technology Software Development path at UC. It is an honor to be a recipient of this scholarship established by Dr. Said.”

Beyond her scholarship, Corin is actively involved both on an off campus as a volunteer with Bearcat Coders as an IT mentor, the Center for Community Engagement, Women in Technology, the NAACP and NSBE (National Society for Black Engineers). She also participated in the RevolutionUC Hackathon, and has earned membership in Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Beyond these accomplishments, Corin is already looking toward the future. “My long-term goal is to be a Web Developer and IT Entrepreneur. I hope to work toward improving the lack of diversity in the STEM community. I will introduce others to a STEM-based future by creating a community program and teaching coding classes. I want to be a living example that shows being a successful minority female in STEM is possible and provide resources for students to accomplish their goals. I expect to sponsor a scholarship that supports young people on their STEM path to success and help keep them there.”

Congratulations, Corin!

Working hard in the CECH Dean's office and heading into her fourht year as a student in the Health Promotion and Education program,  the Phoenix Scholarship couldn’t be more meaningful to Gretchen Shisler.  

“Thank you very much for the Phoenix Scholarship—it is greatly appreciated. College is expensive and this scholarship will allow me focus on my education and worry less about the financial burden.”  

Gretchen is the President of Eta Sigma Gamma, an honor society for students in the Health Promotion and Education program. She is also a regular volunteer at the St. George Food Pantry. Upon graduation, Gretchen’s goals and aspirations is nothing less than inspiring.  

 “After I graduate, my plan is to get my Master of Public Health, specializing in Global Health. With my degree, my goal is to work in low-income countries to help provide affordable, accessible, and life-saving vaccines to communities in need.”  

Congratulations Gretchen!

Elizabeth Shelton has dedicated her life to education. Shelton attended the University of Cincinnati in the early 1970’s and attained both her bachelors and master’s degrees in the School of Education at CECH. After graduation she went on to teach for 15 years in Cincinnati Public School district before moving to Racine, WI, where she resides today.

Shelton has long been a donor to CECH, but in 2015 she decided to take her philanthropy a step further by establishing the Elizabeth Holmes Shelton Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship supports students in the School of Education, and is geared toward those with financial need. 

“A highlight of my life has been providing scholarships to top students who plan to be educators.”

For the past several years, Shelton has made a special trip to meet her scholarship recipient. “I now live in Racine, Wisconsin and for the past three years I have enjoyed driving down to Cincinnati to be present when they are presenting the scholarships to the students. Last year what made it extra special was when I got to meet and to get to know the students and even the parents. The two students that I gave the scholarship keep in touch with pictures and e-mails. I keep our picture that was taken at the ceremony in a special place in my house.”

Donors like Elizabeth are the driving force behind our scholarships, and we are inspired each and every day by their selfless generosity and support of our students.

“What memorable experiences I’ve had, and I do hope to continue these scholarships in [support of] promising educators and their futures.”