MARIETTA—After spending more than a decade in the operating room as a surgical technician, Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) student Stacie Holbert wanted to expand her skills to assist patients while they were awake by becoming a nurse. That dream was made a reality, in part, thanks to the WSCO Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship.
Holbert is a wife and mother as well as a full-time nursing student who’s also juggling the responsibilities of a full-time job. When she was just a baby, she was adopted and raised by her grandparent, which is one of the qualifiers for the scholarship.
“Financially, [this scholarship] is a blessing because I just did not have it. I am married and have two teenage children. Raising a family is quite expensive,” Holbert said. “I am truly so thankful for this support because it’s helping me realize my dreams.”
The Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship was established at WSCO in 2013 by local Wendy’s franchise owners, Ray and Kim Blackburn. The couple was inspired by their own experiences as foster parents to act as advocates for adoption and support the cause through fundraising for the Dave Thomas Adoption Fund and the creation of the scholarship.
The Pioneer Antique Auto Club (PAAC) of the Mid-Ohio Valley, which holds car shows in the parking lot of the Blackburn’s southside Parkersburg Wendy’s location, annually provides financial support of the scholarship. Recently, PAAC and the Blackburns each made a $3,000 contribution to the WSCO Foundation to support the fund.
Holbert is one of five WSCO students who received the Wendy’s Adoption Scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. Since it was established, the scholarship has benefited 33 students.
The Washington State College of Ohio Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable corporation administered by a Board of Directors composed of community leaders and institutional representatives. Gifts made to the Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law and are used exclusively to support the College’s mission, its programs, and its students. For details about the WSCO Foundation and information on ways to help fund educational access, visit www.wscc.edu/foundation or contact the WSCO Foundation Director Megan Hardway at 740-885-5706 or at Foundation@wscc.edu.
