Your gift, no matter the amount, joins a collective force of donors to support students like those listed below. Every gift makes a difference.
Devin Hatter, business management
"One day, I'd like to be the U.S. Secretary of State, and I know just how I'm going to get there. It's a dream of mine, and though it seems far-fetched, that's what dreams are for. Not to be deferred to dry up like a raisin in the sun; but to inspire you to become more.
My mother was raised picking produce in the fields with her mother and my father grew up living around the Ivanhoe Projects in Gary, Indiana. Labeled one of the toughest housing projects in the world, he had to fight every day up until the day he finally got out. Even today, as they live together in Fostoria, Ohio, they struggle to make ends meet, but they sacrificed their opportunities to allow their children to make something of themselves. They gave me hope - the hope that they refused to let hardship claim for its own.
At UF, I excelled in all of my classes and built connections with the professors. I learned to become more professional in my daily life and to be strategic with my goals. I joined clubs and organizations like the Oiler Ten - where we go beyond the classroom and do work with real businesses to prepare us for our careers and help us find our passion. I placed second out of 48 groups in UF's Innovation Competition, where I developed skills on how to build a business that I'm seeking real investment for right now.
All of these achievements would not have happened had I not received donor support.
Your financial support was important, but the faith you place in students like me, hoping that we go above and beyond every day is what transcends the dollars. That's a special something that you can't put a price on.
I hope to work as hard as you have to one day be fortunate enough to offer student leaders the same opportunities as you have for me.
With you on our sides, the University of Findlay will have no problem equipping students for meaningful lives and productive careers."
-- Devin Hatter
Emily Peraza, mathematics
“I think that it is important for donors to see just how the money they give to UF helps students like me be on this campus and learn from these professors. I want to be the mathematician that puts people into space. Their support is helping me do that. I hope they know that every little bit helps. I am so grateful for all of it.
I wouldn’t be a student here or any other college if I didn’t get scholarships. I come from a family that doesn’t have a lot, so I’m in charge of paying for my tuition. Thanks to all of my scholarships, nearly my entire bill is covered.
Findlay was my first choice of schools because I wanted to be in a robust math program and Findlay is one of the few schools that have such a diverse mathematics program and I could tell from the first time that I visited campus that the faculty in the program really care about my success. We just clicked.”
-- Emily Peraza
Ethan LaFontaine, physical therapy
"One of my career goals is to go on mission trips using what I have learned as a Physical Therapist to help people who cannot afford to go to a doctor. This career choice does not offer a large salary, so scholarships help me decrease my amount of debt coming out of college. This means that I can get to my mission work sooner and continue to fulfill God’s plans for my life.
Without my scholarships I would not have been able to attend the University of Findlay because I am self-financing my education.
Scholarships allow me to work fewer hours per week and dedicate these hours to studying. I also spend this extra time volunteering through organizations such as Habitat for Humanity where I help build affordable homes for people in need. They help me complete the challenging task of balancing good grades, work and giving back to my community."
--Ethan LaFontaine