Alumni and friends,

Today is the day- our summer 2019 John Glenn Fellows move into their summer home on Capitol Hill and begin their journey with the Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP)! We are so excited to share a few words of thanks from our 8 recipients of the crowdfunding scholarship, made possible by you.

Please enjoy the video the recipients put together to express what the scholarship means to them. We look forward to updating you along the way as they go through their life-changing summer in Washington! 

To meet the summer cohort, visit our website to read their bios and follow WAIP adventures on their Instagram. 

Go Bucks!

Katy 

Alumni and Friends,

We are so excited to announce that the WAIP crowdfunding campaign has hit the triple match and has raised enough to fund six full housing scholarships.  Thanks to the many who gave, six deserving Buckeyes are heading to D.C. this summer without the burden of housing cost.

Our generous donor is so excited about our progress that he has pledged another $2,200 (half of another scholarship!) if we raise the other half, meaning we can send seven Buckeyes in honor of John Glenn’s Friendship 7.

We have less than $2,000 to go and less than 72 hours. Can you help spread the word?  Can you give a little more?  Can we make WAIP history and send seven students to Washington this summer?

We're so grateful for all you've done! 

-Katy and the WAIP Team 

Alumni and Friends,

It’s time to announce this year’s match challenge!

Today is the anniversary of John Glenn’s Friendship 7 – on this day in 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. Glenn circled Earth three times before landing the aircraft in the ocean, making history.

We can make WAIP history- in honor of the three times John Glenn orbited the Earth in Friendship 7, a generous former staff member of Senator Glenn has pledged to triple everything we raise today through the end of the campaign, up to $5,000. He will triple up to $5,000, meaning he is willing to give $15,000. This incredible generosity will put us over our goal, allowing us to send more students to DC on full scholarship than ever before.

John Glenn’s Friendship 7 changed the future of space history forever, and a summer in Washington can change a student’s professional trajectory forever. In honor of Senator Glenn, please give to this year’s campaign so we can exceed our goal and continue to change lives, continuing the Senator’s legacy of public service.

Let’s raise $5,000 and hit our match!

-Katy and the WAIP Team

Alumni and Friends!

It is with great excitement that I write to you today to share that in just the first week, we've already funded a full housing scholarship! Thank you for your support and generosity! 

We'll have some exciting announcements about a match challenge later this month, but to remind us all of why this campaign is so important, please enjoy the story below about one of our alumni who supports the crowdfunding campaign every year, and his mentee Gabe, one of our crowdfunding recipients last summer. 

Kenneth Blacks, MPA ’14, made a promise to himself while he was in graduate school; he vowed that after graduation he would give back to the college that had given him so much. “The Glenn College has been extremely good to me. It not only gave me a scholarship to attend graduate school, but it gave me perspective and gave me self-confidence to explore things. I want to give back,” he said.

Even as a busy safety specialist for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Blacks finds time to support the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, as well as The Ohio State University, through service and philanthropy. He is a member of the Glenn College D.C. outreach committee and is also a board member of The Ohio State University D.C. Alumni Chapter. One of the many ways Blacks has made a difference is through his support of WAIP’s annual crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for program housing scholarships. He was a big part of the momentum behind the 2018 campaign, that generated more than $22,000 dollars and created five housing scholarships.

Blacks went on to experience the significance of giving after being paired as a mentor to Gabe Jackson, who is a WAIP scholarship recipient. “I was drawn to this particular fundraiser because I knew that the opportunity to live and work in D.C. could change someone’s life for the better,” said Blacks. “Finding out that Gabe was there because of alumni support of the crowdfund really hit home for me. Not long ago, I was in Gabe’s shoes and feel very fortunate to be in a position to give back.”

Being awarded a housing scholarship gave Jackson the financial resources he needed to take part in the WAIP program. “I vividly remember the moment I got the email about receiving the scholarship,” said Jackson. “I was doing laundry in the dorm and dropped everything. Instantly, I called my mom, tears were running down my face, and shared the great news. I am looking forward to the time when I can continue the legacy of giving so others can experience moments like this.”

“I am deeply honored that generous individuals, like Kenneth, believed in my dreams and aspirations,” said Jackson.

If you would like to provide more students like Gabe the opportunity to participate in WAIP, please share your story about why you gave to WAIP this year, encouraging others to give today. 

I am excited for what's to come and thank you for your generosity! 

-Katy and the WAIP Team