Students Follow Passions with Alumni Support

Published Date September 21, 2023

News Type Alumni News

Glenn College graduate Kelly Des Roches, left, gets to know the 2023 Glenn College Alumni Society Scholarship recipients, Jason Smart, an undergraduate majoring in public management, leadership and policy as well as communications, and Melissa Ward, who is a graduate student pursuing a dual degree in social work and public affairs.

By Joan Slattery Wall

On an application for the Glenn College Alumni Society Scholarship, Mikayla Bodey outlined her concerns about America’s food crisis and nutrition.

“From the misunderstandings of agricultural practices, to GMO concerns, to urban ‘food deserts,’ there is so much room for improvement in our current Farm Bill,” she wrote.

That essay, written prior to her 2017 graduation with a BA in Public Management, Leadership and Policy, foreshadowed her career path. Thanks to the Alumni Society Scholarship and the Washington Academic Internship Program, she interned with her current employer, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, where, as senior professional staff she advises Senate Democrats on rural development issues, including rural healthcare, water, broadband, economic development, manufacturing, renewable energy and other emerging issues.

Mikayla Bodey

“In my application essay, I mentioned the desire to work on a Farm Bill,” Bodey said. “As Congress is considering the next Farm Bill later this year, I am actively engaged in drafting this legislation, managing stakeholder requests, and advising Senate Democrats on Farm Bill proposals. My education and experiences at the Glenn College, as well as relationships with engaged alumni, have greatly impacted my career trajectory.”

The generosity and commitment of the Glenn College alumni family resulted in the Alumni Society Scholarship Fund reaching its $100,000 goal this year. This milestone allows the society to now endow the fund, offering a dependable and ongoing source of scholarship funding for deserving undergraduate and graduate students into perpetuity.

“Being a first-generation college student presented plenty of financial challenges,” Bodey said, “but support from alumni of the Glenn College gave me the stability to focus on my education, participate in student organizations, and maintain relevant policy internships.”

The scholarship campaign started in 2013 thanks to the leadership Kelly Des Roches, MPA ’92, and a seed gift from the class of 1992 in celebration of their 20th reunion. Since then, alumni have made over 1,300 gifts to the alumni scholarship fund, which enabled the alumni society to provide two student scholarships annually over the past 10 years while continuing to grow the fund’s principal balance.

 “The original intent of the fund was to benefit graduate students like ourselves. We later expanded the scholarship opportunity to benefit both graduates and undergraduates,” said Des Roches, now chief of staff at the Office of Business and Finance at The Ohio State University. “The recipients have been impressive each and every year.”

Reading the scholarship submittals is inspiring because the students have a passion for public service and making an impact through public policy.

Kelly Des Roches

MPA ’92

A former educator, Lauren Sabo, another Alumni Society Scholarship recipient, in 2018 earned her Master of Arts in Public Policy and Juris Doctor. She noted on her scholarship application her passion for special education policy and issues related to disabilities discrimination.

“The alumni society scholarship was incredibly helpful, as I was a dual degree law and public policy student. It covered a part of tuition for my degree programs and made it so I could work a bit less and focus more on my studies,” Sabo said.

After graduation, she accepted a fellowship representing juvenile victims of human trafficking across the state of Ohio.

Lauren Sabo

“This was a very challenging, yet rewarding role where I got firsthand experience working with the most vulnerable children in the state and in and around Franklin County and advocated for better training and identification and for policies for victims of trafficking,” said Sabo, adding that the work made her realize that all of her clients had education issues and deserved a knowledgeable expert to help get them back in school and to work within the system to get them the supports they needed to succeed. “I now run my own law firm, Sabo Law LLC, where I represent students in pre-K through PhD across the state in their most challenging moments. This is the reason I went to Ohio State in order to further my education and become teacher-turned-education and special education attorney. I feel blessed to have had so much support from the Glenn College over the years, not just in the form of a scholarship, but also through wonderful mentors and faculty who care deeply about their students’ success.”

Des Roches thanks alumni who have generously contributed to the fund over the years.

“The fact that alumni would invest in current students is a testament to the commitment to the college and its mission,” Des Roches said. “While we have reached a significant milestone, there is still more we can accomplish perhaps by expanding the number of annual scholarships or the dollar amount of the award.”

Glenn College Alumni Society Scholarships

Read the latest edition of Public Address, the Glenn College magazine.