PRESS RELEASE – Bryan High School class officers Katherine Thormeier and Dominic Malanga met with Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Amy Miller in the spring of 2025 to discuss ideas for creating a scholarship using their remaining class funds.
Their class, having been eighth graders during the COVID-19 pandemic, had $11,000 remaining due to their class trip to Chicago being cancelled.
The officers wanted to use the money to start a program that would have a significant and long-lasting impact and decided to launch the Welcome Home Scholarship.
This scholarship will encourage fellow Bryan High School graduates who have furthered their education outside of Williams County to consider returning to live, work, serve, and play after graduating from an accredited college, university, or trade school.
Recipients of the Welcome Home Scholarship will receive up to $10,000 for repayment of federal student loan debt in quarterly installments for one year following their return to Williams County.
“They had a considerable amount of leftover funds, unlike most graduating classes, and they wanted to do more than buy a bench, flag, or banner,” said Bryan Area Foundation President/CEO Miller.
She added, “That this is not a new idea in the community foundation world, and she had already talked to leaders of some of those groups in Ohio and Michigan about how to establish one.”
Malanga added, “We thought it was the perfect use of the money, and I’m excited to see what this can do.”
Applications are now available on the Bryan Area Foundation website, and a committee will soon be organized to award the first Welcome Home Scholarship next year at the Bryan High School homecoming.
To learn more about the scholarship or apply, visit the Bryan Area Foundation’s website and Facebook or Instagram pages.