News Announcement
For more information contact Lynne Briggs or Cheryl Kight at
614-469-1950

Columbus, November 2009 

CINCINNATI RESIDENT, RECIPIENT OF SCHOLARSHIP FROM
CONVERGYS, MAJORING IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
AT CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY

Erin Olsen, from Cincinnati, is a senior at Cedarville University majoring in Middle Childhood Education with an emphasis in math and science.  She is the recipient of a scholarship from Convergys through The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ (OFIC) Ohio Scholars Program.   

Erin has high praise for the Education program at Cedarville.  She is particularly appreciative of the internship opportunities offered that provide hands-on experience and invaluable insight into the realities and responsibilities of teaching middle-school students.  “I have already completed four internships”, Erin says, “one observation of a sixth grade Kentucky classroom, teaching reading in a Dayton charter school and preparing the students for the Ohio Achievement Tests, and working with seventh grade math students in an inner-city school.”

Expressing great appreciation for the financial support that is enabling her to continue her education, Erin says that she worked full-time in a factory for four summers and babysat and tutored on weekends.  Additionally, she works in a campus snack shop and serves as a Resident Assistant during the school year.   “I am paying for almost of all of my schooling”, Erin says, “but since I am currently a student, I am unable to pay all of the cost.  This scholarship has helped to make my education possible.” 

In her thank-you letter to her scholarship donor, Erin calls education the foundation for her future and expresses gratitude for the scholarship assistance she has received.  “Not only does it help me but it also helps my family,” she says.  “Thank you for your support and willingness to give.  I am truly grateful.”

Convergys, headquartered in Cincinnati, is a relationship management company that offers a broad range of customer and HR solutions.   The company is currently providing scholarship assistance through OFIC to five students from southwest Ohio enrolled at OFIC member colleges.

OFIC is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 independent Ohio colleges and universities and operates one of the largest, most comprehensive and diverse scholarship management services in the state.  OFIC member colleges collectively enroll 98,000 students and award one-third of all bachelor’s degrees in the state. For 60 years OFIC has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education and has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship commitments through funds raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in private higher education. OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.