Glen Oak Scholarship Fund History

The Glen Oak Scholarship Endowment was established before the school even opened as a way to attract and support young women from a variety of backgrounds.

 

One of the early fundraising events was a multi-band jazz concert sponsored by the Fairmont Festival Association and held at the Ridley Watts residence. The event was a resounding success and the association continued to host Glen Oak jazz fundraisers in subsequent years. Eventually, students, parents and other stakeholders held additional fundraisers to support the scholarship’s endowment.

 

After Glen Oak closed, the school, its assets and debts were acquired by Gilmour Academy, including the Glen Oak Scholarship Fund. Since that time, Gilmour has held the fund separately, to be used only for the purpose of awarding the Glen Oak Scholarship. The Glen Oak Scholarship provides modest tuition assistance each year to one (or more)  young woman in her senior year at Gilmour. Faculty members identify junior year women as candidates for the scholarship. These young women are invited to submit an essay about the importance of the Glen Oak values of person, service and love.

 

Each year, the Glen Oak Scholarship Committee, composed of a group of Glen Oak alumnae, review the essays, conduct interviews with the short listed candidates and select a recipient(s). After their selection, the committee enjoys several touch points with the recipient(s). Committee members attend the end-of-year awards ceremony at which the junior recipient is announced. In the student’s senior year, committee members meet their scholarship recipient for a luncheon. Finally, committee members attend the recipient’s senior project exhibition.

 

From the closing of the school in 1983 until 2012, there were few gifts made to the Fund, although scholarships continued to be awarded. In 2017, the $4,000 disbursement was spilt among three outstanding candidates.This prompted a conversation among the committee members about the need for a fundraising effort to increase the endowment. They set a goal to double the endowment from less than $100,000 in 2017 to $200,000, so that approximately $10,000 (5%) could be disbursed each year. That goal is nearly within reach. 

 

I’m grateful for the deep commitment to the administration and award of the scholarships shown by Past Committee Chair, Mary Alexander Ray’ '75. Many years ago, Mary wrote this description below of the Glen Oak Scholarship, which celebrates our own experiences at Glen Oak and its ability to connect our past to the future of other young women. She captured it perfectly.

 

 

 

Dear Glen Oak Alums,

 

“For nearly 40 years, I have been the Chair of the Glen Oak Scholarship Committee. In this role I have had the honor and privilege to observe the enduring mission and philosophy of Glen Oak: Person, Service and Love.

 

Each year a committee of Glen Oak graduates reviews essays, interviews students, and awards scholarship(s) to young women in their junior year attending Gilmour Academy for their senior year.

 

I would like to share with you that our endowment fund has served OUR memory of Glen Oak each year by choosing one and sometimes two and three young ladies, much like ourselves with zeal, vision and passion, affording them the opportunity to go to Gilmour Academy.

 

As I read these essays, I see the spirit of Glen Oak ALIVE in the hearts and minds and activities of these talented young women and marvel that they DO take a small part of Glen Oak with them as they continue on their journey through life.

 

I would like you to know that in many ways, what we remember as the essence of Glen Oak has been incorporated into the philosophy and fabric of Gilmour Academy and GLEN OAK STILL LIVES in Gates Mills, Ohio.”