Marietta, OH– When an individual gives back to their community through Marietta Community Foundation, the effects can be immense. Whether it’s from an entire organization or an individual person, generosity can become widespread and have a far-reaching impact. 

In one instance, the impact of that generosity became evident to 2019 Marietta High School Graduate, Madalyn Moore. At the end of her senior year, Moore received the unexpected news that she had been awarded the Carol Christy Scholarship.

“It was definitely a surprise when I was awarded this scholarship,” said Moore. “I was so excited to be recognized for this amazing award… it was a great feeling.”

Moore, a current biochemistry major at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, was among the first group of students to ever be awarded the Christy Scholarship. By being awarded the Christy Scholarship, Moore is now a part of a legacy dedicated to the educational advancement of young people in Washington County. 

“Being a recipient of this scholarship meant so much to me because I put a lot of work into my educational goals leading up to my graduation,” said Moore. “I tried to lay a foundation for my end goal of going to graduate school and being awarded this felt like an amazing honor. This scholarship will ultimately help me achieve my pursuit of higher education, and I am so thankful for that.”

Established in January of 2019, the Carol Christy Scholarship is one of two funds created from the estate of Adriann “Arie” Janssens. The Janssens’ estate is the largest bequest given to the Foundation in its 45-year history.  

Dedicated to the memory of Janssens’ late wife, Carol Christy, this renewable scholarship is available to diligent and hardworking seniors attending a Washington County High School and planning to obtain their undergraduate degree from a four-year institution. This scholarship can cover up to 50 percent of total tuition costs for four years, dramatically reducing the financial burden of higher education for the recipients.

“Things sometimes get more expensive after freshman year,” said Moore. “You’re possibly living off-campus without a meal plan and now you have other expenses associated with that, but the Carol Christy was a nice buffer to have because it’s renewable. It definitely provides students with what they need in their later years.” 

Thanks to the financial relief afforded to her through the Christy Scholarship, Moore was able to explore some of the extracurricular options available to OU students. Moore, a previous drum major of Marietta High School’s marching band, The Wall of Sound, knew that a full-time course-load would leave her too busy to join OU’s marching band. So, to stay connected with her musical roots, Moore decided to look at what OU had to offer. She eventually found her place among the campus ukulele club.

“[The ukulele club] was very low-stress and I still had that musical outlet,” said Moore. “It was a lot of fun.”

In addition to having the time to participate in campus clubs, Moore’s scholarship also gave her the financial freedom to pursue different academic avenues. The Christy Scholarship opened the possibility to pursue education beyond her undergrad, as well as potentially allowing her to spend a semester studying in Germany.

“I just can’t express how grateful I am for the support from the Foundation,” said Moore. “This scholarship has made me hopeful for my future. Without it, I would not even be able to think about things like graduate school, study abroad programs, future internships, or research opportunities.”

The Marietta Community Foundation meets National Standards for operational quality, donor service, and accountability in the community foundation sector. Founded in 1974, the Marietta Community Foundation has grown over the years thanks to a number of generous gifts.

Marietta Community Foundation works to improve Washington County through grants and initiatives. If you want to change the life of a local student, please contact Heather Allender at 740-373-3286 or heather@mcfohio.org.