6/12/2008 12:06:00 AM
Niswonger scholars give back to community
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| Two Niswonger Scholars, Brandi Ricker (left) and Brittany Vogt (right), spread mulch at Rotary Park Wednesday afternoon. A group of Niswonger Scholars are spending time in Van Wert this week doing community service projects at the Van Wert YWCA, the Children’s Garden at Smiley Park, Family Caring Clinic and at Rotary Park.
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BY ED GEBERT
Times Bulletin News Writer
egebert@timesbulletin.com
A group of some of the best and brightest young people have been in Van Wert this week to study the community and volunteer with some community work.
The group is made up of Niswonger Scholarship winners. The Niswonger Foundation, started by Van Wert native Scott Niswonger and his wife Nikki, creates opportunities for individual and community growth through not only education, but also charitable activities.
Most of the group hails from Tennessee, but six of the scholars are from this area. Brandi Ricker is a graduate of Paulding High School who has made similar trips to east Tennessee. This time, she gets to be the host.
"It's been really nice to be able to return some of the hospitality I've received going down there for the past couple of years," Ricker expressed. She admits that the area is a bit different from Tennessee. She smiled, "It's been interesting to see the faces of the other scholars when they see how flat it is here!"
Ricker is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan with a major in chemistry education. Other northwest Ohio Niswonger Scholars on the trip include Van Wert grads Rian Rainey, currently at Ohio State University, Kyle Holliday, currently at Ohio Wesleyan University, and Abigail Ricica, a junior at Ohio Wesleyan. Lincolnview High School graduates Casey Jackson, a University of Saint Francis student, and Thomas Cully who is currently enrolled at Indiana Wesleyan University are also part of the group.
Tennessee Scholars participating in the visit include Meredith Wachs of Mountain City, Lauren Williams of Greeneville, Rachel Mixon of Rogersville, Brittany Vogt of Jonesborough, Emily Hollingsworth of Sevierville, Virginia Hines of Johnson City, Ian Sams of Watauga, and Jessica Verran-Lingard of Johnson City.
Many of the Tennessee contingent have been pleased with their time in Van Wert. "It's the southern hospitality without the south!" remarked Wachs.
The director of the Scholarship and Leadership Training program, Dr. Nancy Dishner, agreed. "We have been overwhelmed with the friendliness and the welcoming spirit of Van Wert," she said. "It is one of the loveliest towns I have ever visited. It has really been a joy. It is so immaculate and everybody seems to have such a pride in the town."
Niswonger commented, "Although our Van Wert-area Scholars have regularly visited the Greeneville, Tennessee area, our Tennessee scholars have not had the opportunity to see our hometown and experience the pride that Nikki and I have in the Van Wert area. It is important that our scholars see that every community has tremendous assets as well as opportunities for improvement. This is universal. The skills they are gaining through our Foundation's leadership training are designed to prepare them to make significant contributions to their communities, whether that is northwest Ohio or northeast Tennessee."
While helping out with various programs in the community, the scholars have had the opportunity to see not only the problems that are being faced, but also the solutions. Wachs spent a day serving meals with the Van Wert YWCA Summer Food Program. "It's really impressive, the level of service," she marveled. "Even the federal lunch program is nowhere near the level it is here. It's awesome the amount of food they get for their buck."
This visit is the culmination of the scholars' summer leadership training which focused on strengthening and growing communities. Dishner pointed out, "During the training we were studying communities and the import of our role in building communities, so we thought what better way to reinforce that principle than to not only look at the community they are probably most accustomed to, but then also to spend time with the scholars from Ohio and learn about their community as well."
Besides work at the YWCA and at Rotary Park, the group also served at the Children's Garden in Smiley Park and at Family Caring Clinic.
"I think it was a point of pride for the Ohio scholars in the program to get to bring everyone to their home turf to see where they have been working and what community they have been giving back to," Hines shared.
"These scholars do a lot of things for the program," Dishner stated. "They are phenomenal young people who have been nominated and selected to this part of the program."
The Scholarship and Leadership Development program is one of the initiatives of the Niswonger Foundation based in Greeneville, Tennessee. The goal of the program is to identify and equip a talented network of young people for future service in their home communities. Niswonger's philosophy, "Learn, Earn and Return" ,guides the curriculum for the scholars' leadership training.
Niswonger Scholars are chosen primarily for their leadership potential, commitment to personal excellence and their desire to serve their communities in the future. The scholarship includes the opportunity to attend the college or university of the recipient's choice and provides leadership development training to enhance the lives of the Scholars and promote their potential for community service. There are currently a total of 35 Niswonger Scholars and 16 Niswonger Scholar Alumni.
Both Scott and Nikki Niswonger have helped plan the week's activities. While Nikki has been here in Van Wert, Scott will join the group on Thursday for an informational tour of Van Wert and several social activities involving Van Wert business leaders and close friends of the Niswongers.
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