Ackley auction to feature past scholarship recipients

GREENVILLE – The Ackley fundraising auction, “Joining together for Darke County Youth,” will be bringing in several students who have benefitted from the scholarships provided to them in the past.

The auction, sponsored by The Early Bird, Blue Bag Media, Bistro Off Broadway and County News Online, will offer cartoons published by the local community and political cartoonist, Paul Ackley. According to Early Bird Publisher Keith Foutz, the event is expected to generate funds for a “significant” check to the Senior Scribes Scholarship Fund for scholarships to be offered in 2014. The auction is scheduled for Nov. 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bistro Off Broadway.

Ashley Studebaker, a Franklin Monroe High School graduate and scholarship recipient in 2012 and 2013, is pursuing a degree in sports journalism. She will be transferring from the University of Dayton to Carolina Coastal University in the spring

She was disappointed she couldn’t make it to the event, but wanted to express what the scholarship meant to her.

“Obviously a scholarship is helpful to a family who is putting a child through college, and the student as well, in terms of the financial aspect,” she said. “With the Senior Scribes scholarship, it has meant a little bit more than just financial with me.

“One of the things that Senior Scribes has done has reassured me that I am in the right career field. Becoming a recipient of this scholarship has told me that I am good at what I love to do and what I have a passion for and when you want to make Journalism your career, that is a pretty great feeling. Sometimes you just get those “signs” that you know that you are on the right path and one of those signs for me has been receiving this scholarship.”

Studebaker explained she became aware of the scholarship through her college instructor at Edison, Bob Robinson, while taking post secondary classes.

“He got me started writing for County News Online,” she added. “It has given me so much experience in the writing area of the journalism field. I was also fortunate to receive advice from a man who used to work at ESPN as a reporter and the best advice that he could give me was that I need to get experience under my belt.

“I hope that I was able to give you a little bit of an idea of what Senior Scribes has meant to me. This is such a great program, giving students belief in themselves and proof that they are good at what they do, making dreams become reality. I cannot thank this program enough for what they do; it has truly been a blessing in my life.”

Foutz, Ackley, the Bistro’s Ted Abney and Robinson hope members of the community will stop by to check out the auction items and meet with the students who have benefitted from the program.

“This is a terrific, talented bunch of kids,” Robinson said. “Find out what these scholarships have meant to them, and how your support can help other kids with their college goals.”