CECH Scholarship Recipients

"My name is Amaya Nelloms. I am currently a freshman at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in Criminal Justice and Political Science. My dedication and passion for Criminal Justice and Political Science have allowed me to thrive in CECH. I'm a natural leader. I am ambitious and driven. I thrive on challenges and constantly set goals for myself, so I am always moving forward. I'm not comfortable with settling. I'm always looking for an opportunity to do better and achieve greatness. In the future, I want to become a prosecuting attorney then later become a judge on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

When I started high school af­ter my 7th-grade year, I knew that I had to think ahead to get ahead. I dedicated myself to all things Criminal Justice and Political Science. I knew that college would give me further knowledge, skill, and experience to succeed in my desired career choice. In high school, I participated in extracurricular activities like cheerleading and student govern­ment. I was my class secretary and was also the cheerleading captain of the varsity cheerleading squad during my junior and senior years. I have also dedicated time to giving back to my community by volunteering. I deserve this scholarship opportunity because I am an innovative problem solver, hard­working, passionate, and persistent. Due to internal financial issues, my parents are not able to accommodate me. Since my parents cannot support me financially, I rely on scholarships, loans, and grants to pay for school. I never wanted a lack of money to discourage me from going to college because I have big goals and aspirations for myself."

"I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended Cincinnati Public Schools, and graduated from Hughes in 2004. I went on to the University of Cincinnati as a recipient of the African-American Initiative for Math and Science (A.A.I.M.S.) Scholarship and graduated in 2009 from the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Resources with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a concentration in Biological Science. 

I've always had a passion for education and working in in­ner-city schools. My professional career includes teaching at Hamilton County Math and Science (4th and 5th grade); Aiken College and Career (11th and 12th grade); University of Cincinnati G.E.A.R.U.P. program (Woodward Career Technical High School & Aiken New Technology High School). In 2011 I started my own Tutoring company (Tutor2You, L.L.C.) and rebranded myself in 2018 (Hodge-EDU L.L.C.). Since my rebranding, I have provided services to Cincinnati Public Schools, Athletics Beyond the Classroom, Upward Bound, Community Action Agency (Youth Build), United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and many families in need of educational support. I believe that education is to empower a students' dream. My wife of eight years, Shawnte L. Hodge, is my business partner and continues to challenge me to be creative in providing services. In addition, I find motivation in my two children, Larry Caleb Hodge (5yrs) and Hannah Autumn-Sophia Hodge (3yrs), wanting one day to provide a curriculum model that will meet their educational needs; with a challenge that propels them toward greatness."

"My name is Lorraine S. Washington. I am a non-traditional, first-generation student of my family. I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, graduated from South High, and then went to the military (Army) for a couple of years. I am pursuing my bachelor's degree in Substance Abuse Counseling through the University of Cincinnati's Online program, for which I am currently carrying a 3.9 GPA. I start­ed my educational journey in the summer of 2019 after I sent my only child off to college while working a full-time job here in Columbus, Ohio. I plan to be a Prevention Specialist when I graduate who will work with the youth/adolescents in a school or Public Health setting. 

This scholarship will help me continue my educational path to success without the stress of gathering finances to complete my program. I am very grateful for being chosen to be a recipient of the Joseph Jaeger Memorial Scholarship for the 2021-2022 school year and cannot wait to meet my donor to thank Dr. Graden, Ph.D. in person."

"My name is Mekdelawit Woldyes, and I am a junior pursuing my bachelor's degree in information technology at the University of Cincinnati with a GPA of 3.94 and expecting to graduate in Spring 2022.  I am a proud first-generation child from Ethiopia who is ready to enter the IT industry. While in high school, I dreamt of attending a prominent university where I would major in Information Technology. Fortunately, that dream came true when I started my higher edu­cation journey at the University of Cincinnati. 

I encountered various difficulties in Ethiopia, including a lack of basic infrastructure, little or no technological developments, and many circumstances living in a third-world country. I was motivated to become part of a new generation that brings about innovations and simple ways of alleviating our country's problems. 

I am an active board member and current director of marketing of TEDxUCincinnati. Our orga­nization shares ideas worth spreading to other students and the community. Our main goal is to inspire our university and the community with some of the best home-grown conver­sations that help us see the world locally and globally in a different way. I feel contentment when I see other people grasp something from the educational event that I host and promote every month. 

I am so thankful and honored to receive this scholarship because I know it will reduce many burdens. Thank YOU so much for this opportunity and for believing in me!"

Meagan's journey began as a little girl helping her mom in her classroom.  She loved being at school and helping to prepare for a new school year. As Meagan moved from middle school to Turpin High School, she found herself across the parking lot from the elementary building where her mom worked.  Nearly every day over the next four years, Meagan would help out in the classroom in numerous ways and endearingly became known as "Miss Meagan" to many Mercer students.  Mercer is where she found her passion and mission for helping children learn.  There was much joy out of helping children find ways to learn successfully for Megan.  However, she didn't want to teach. Instead, she wanted to help children and teachers find best practices to be successful learners.  From this experience, Megan considered becoming a psychologist, determined to help children, families, and teachers.  Part of Meagan's passion came from her journey as a student who had auditory processing challenges and obstacles that she found ways to work through. 

While at Wittenberg University, Meagan had an opportunity to work with a professor for two years with early literacy interventions to combat dyslexia.  During this experience, Meagan's mission became genuinely evident to her, and she was determined and excited about ensuring that all children be able to read and achieve.  Upon graduating from Wittenberg, her path continued to the University of Cincinnati in the Educational Psychology program.  While in her second year in the program, she had an experience during her practicum that caused her to be more determined to advocate for the children with whom she worked.   A parent working with Meagan thanked her for helping her child instead of treating her as a problem.  That is who Meagan was.  She was able to look at any situation and think about the possibilities.  She would expect the same from all of us, so it became apparent that we needed to ensure that the work she began here in this world would continue.  

Our journey for Meagan continues as we help her help as many students as possible through the scholarships awarded to the students' University of Cincinnati. This place helped shape Meagan and ignite her passions for learning bud helping others. The goal of the Meagan Toothman Foundation is to continue Meagan's journey by recognizing the service and positive impact a student has had on the community, assisting others in overcoming obstacles and aiding students in need with furthering their education.

This year, Cara Dillon (School Psychology, School of Human Services) receives the Meagan Toothman Scholarship.