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. Give today!

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 of this year's campaign, 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. Your generosity to last year's campaign made Gabe's life-changing summer possible. 

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, encouraging others to give today. 

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

-Katy and the WAIP Team 

Alumni & friends, 

In February, you did something incredible: you funded 5 full housing scholarships to send 5 deserving John Glenn Fellows to Washington, DC this summer. 

I am pleased to introduce you to our incredible recipients. Please enjoy this video capturing their thoughts and thanks just before their move to DC this Friday. 

You can meet all 36 John Glenn Fellows in the summer 2018 cohort by reading their bios here.

We look forward to updating you on the journey of Alex, Freweyni, Gabe, Natalie and Ray'Chel this summer! Thank you again for helping make their summer experience possible. 

-Katy

Alumni and friends-

It’s the last week of the crowdfunding campaign, and YOU could be the difference between sending four students to Washington this summer vs. six on a full housing scholarship.  We have a generous donor ready to match the last $4,200 needed to do this.  We are grateful of all gifts of any size - Mikayla’s story is a great example of how these scholarships change lives.

We have changed our goal to $21,000. We have four days left.

Thank you for what you’ve helped us accomplish. If you can, share your story with others and ask them to give, too.  Together, we can meet this goal!

-Katy and the WAIP Team

Three years ago, we launched the first-ever WAIP crowdfunding campaign, with the goal of sending two deserving students to DC on full housing scholarship. Little did we know, thanks to the generosity of alumni, friends and former staffers of Senator Glenn, we would send three students to DC that summer on a full scholarship, one of them being Mikayla Bodey.  

As we head into the last days of this year's WAIP crowdfunding campaign, please consider sharing Mikayla's WAIP story to encourage others to support this important program so we can reach our goal of sending 6 students to DC on full scholarship. 

Mikayla shares her story as an example of the difference scholarship funds can make.

Small gifts led to big impact for Mikayla. "Donors should know that every dollar spent increases access to a life-changing program. As a student from a low-income family in rural Ohio, this scholarship made available a program that would have been out of my financial reach. By giving to this scholarship, you are, in small part, increasing economic and social diversity among those working in our nation's Capitol."

As a Glenn Fellow in WAIP, Mikayla interned on Capitol Hill for the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Upon graduation, she landed back on Capitol Hill to serve as a Legislative Correspondent focusing on agriculture and environmental issues for a US Senator.

It seems destiny was at work in finding this new position, which holds a unique connection to the Glenn College and Senator Glenn's legacy.  "In my first week in my new job, I brought in a campaign button from John Glenn's 1984 Presidential bid to keep at my desk. One of my coworkers, not knowing much about John Glenn said: "Oh, cool button, is that because of the office?" Not knowing what she meant, I asked for clarity. "Oh no one must have told you, this is John Glenn's old Senate office." 

Fate, divine intervention and a touch of luck made landing here feel as though it was all meant to be. 

Help us get more students like Mikayla to DC this summer so we can have more success stories to share for years to come. Please- tell others why you generously gave this year by sharing Mikayla's story, inspiring them to give too. 

On this day (February 20th) in 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth aboard Project Mercury's Friendship 7. He circled the globe three times, which took 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds. On this day in 1962, John Glenn inspired a nation. 

Thank you for supporting WAIP so we can continue Senator Glenn's legacy of inspiring the next generation to serve. What better way than to send deserving students to our nation's capital for a summer? We can't thank you enough for your gift- it makes a difference. 

Please- on this day, help others remember John Glenn and Friendship 7, encouraging them to give to WAIP on this historic anniversary. 

Alumni and friends,

Thank you for supporting WAIP this year! We are so excited to include you in this journey of getting six Glenn Fellows to DC without the burden of housing costs! 

We are so close to reaching our second match (less than $2,000 away!) and need your help- will you share with your fellow Buckeyes and friends why you chose to support the WAIP crowdfunding campaign this year? Help us tell our story- and help others understand they can be part of sending six John Glenn Fellows to DC this summer on a full housing scholarship. This scholarship can make all the difference in a young person's life! 

"WAIP was an invaluable chance to explore the field of public policy from the inside and learn more about professional opportunities and my own interests. The summer was also the perfect springboard into my senior year because I came back to Columbus more aware of my goals, more prepared to ask questions and seek out help, and more energized for this work. The scholarship made WAIP possible for me financially and reminds me to this day that I owe so much to the Buckeye community." 

-Elizabeth Kleinhenz, Glenn Fellow and WAIP crowdfunding scholarship recipient 2017 

Help us get more students like Elizabeth, who will undoubtedly make a positive change in the world, to Washington this summer. Help us tell the story of WAIP. 

-Katy and the WAIP Team 

Thank you for your generosity and support of the WAIP campaign. Because of your contributions, we met our first match challenge and have funded two full $4,200 scholarships! 

Our work isn't done yet- Dr. Slater, former staffer of Senator Glenn, has offered to match, dollar for dollar, up to three $4,200 housing scholarships raised by alumni and friends. We could send six Glenn Fellows to DC this summer!

Will you help us spread the word about this incredible opportunity? Please- take a moment to share with your friends, family and social media networks why you generously chose to give to WAIP this year. We would be so grateful. 

Once again, thank you for your support of the Glenn Fellows and WAIP- we can't do this without you!

-Katy and the WAIP Team 

Buckeyes and Friends,

Thank you for your support of last year’s Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP) crowdfunding campaign! Your generosity provided four (4) students with housing scholarships and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve as Glenn Fellows in Washington, D.C.

For the third consecutive year, Dr. Mike Slater, former staffer to Senator Glenn, is offering a great opportunity to help meet our campaign goal. Dr. Slater has offered to match, dollar for dollar, up to three $4,200 housing scholarships raised by alumni and friends. With your help, we could raise a record $25,200 and send six (6) Glenn Fellows to Washington, D.C.!

Dr. Slater has deep admiration for the Glenns' devotion to public service and their commitment to fostering interest among young people to engage at all levels of government.  Please consider joining Dr. Slater in making a gift to carry on the Glenns' legacy of providing valuable learning opportunities to WAIP participants.

Make a donation today and help a Glenn Fellow turn passion into policy!