Danielle Szabo
From Compass
Ohio University freshman Brook Knipp was ready to graduate from high school set in a tiny town in Lawrence County, Ohio. She was set to go to a central Ohio college in the fall. One day, she received a phone call from OHIO’s Office of Financial Aid. A staff member called to inform her that she had been selected as an Appalachian Scholar, an OHIO scholarship award that covers tuition and books for students who are from one of Ohio’s 32 Appalachian counties. Even though Knipp’s housing deposit had already been paid and she had accepted the small amount of financial aid the central Ohio university had offered, she knew instantly that decision would have to be reversed.
Brook Knipp. Photo by Sarah Barkclay.
Once Brook hung up the phone with the staffer, she said she and her family were ecstatic.
“I was jumping up and down and my mom and dad were jumping up and down,” said Knipp. “It was great.”
Students from Appalachian counties in Ohio who apply for the award are selected based on academic standing and financial need. In addition to taking classes, scholars participate in academic, personal and professional workshops and attend speaker forums that feature presentations with leaders and prominent figures.
First year Appalachian Scholars, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, are placed in college transition and support programs and receive academic advising which assists them as they adjust to the increase in the scholarly work expected at a university.
After accepting the award, Brook said she was relieved.
“I didn’t have to worry anymore,” she said. “Getting the scholarship really just relieved a lot of stress. I was just so happy and thankful.”
Knipp is a pre-nursing major and psychology minor. Brook wanted to be in the medical field and help people for as long as she could remember. She believed nursing would be the best way to accomplish both goals.
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