Scripps alumnus celebrates OHIO friendships through scholarship
The 73 West State St. friends traveled to Ireland together to celebrate years of friendship. Left to right: Brian Unger, Marianne Kelley, Bill Brand, Sarah Thayer Schneider, Elizabeth Stanic Douet, Paul Schneider (Sarah’s husband), and Kate Bartter Arnold. Photo courtesy of Sarah Thayer Schneider.
For many Bobcats, their degree represents much more than an accumulation of textbooks, grades, or credit hours. The bonds students form with one another outside the classroom help define the OHIO experience and lay the foundation for lifelong friendships.
This couldn’t be truer for Bill Brand, BSC ’87. Before his successful career in the media and retail industries as president of the lifestyle shopping network HSN and chief marketing officer of HSN, Inc., Brand forged some of his most important friendships in Athens, at the house he and others rented: 73 West State St.
“When I think about my time in Athens, the memories always go back to the people who made those years some of the best times of my life. The academics were important, but none of it could be the same without the residents and friends of 73 West State St.,” Brand said.
Now more than 30 years later, Brand has commemorated his time at Ohio University by establishing the 73 West State St. Award, a scholarship for students in the Scripps College of Communication.
Created in honor of his roommates and friends Kate Bartter Arnold, BSJ ’87; Marianne Kelley, BFA ’87; Dan Krosse, BSJ ’87; Sarah Thayer Schneider, BSC ’87; Elizabeth Stanic Douet, BSJ ’87; Brian Unger, BSC ’87; the scholarship is open to sophomores who have an affinity to the school and represent the spirit of the campus through their extracurricular involvement.
“I wanted to capture the memories of the people who made my experiences what they were. It’s all about the relationships you make, the way you’re involved and the voice you find in yourself over these pivotal years,” Brand said.
Schneider, a former resident of 73 West State St. and Brand’s lifelong friend, reflected on what the scholarship means to her.
“We weren’t the best of students, but we all found our place – we all found our voice. Bill wanted to honor students who have done the same,” Schneider said.
Scholarship applicants write an essay that focuses on the relationships that drive them and their involvement with their major or the University.
“The academics are the foundation of the institution that are so valuable during your time in school, but the relationships you make are what allow you to grow in the years following,” Schneider said.
For scholarship recipient Sarah Stier, the 73 West State St. Award enabled an experience of a lifetime.
Photojournalism student Sarah Stier used her scholarship funding to travel to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to take photos. Photo courtesy Sarah Stier.
A senior studying photojournalism, history, and sports management, Stier had the opportunity to travel to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“The scholarship came to me at a time I needed it the most. Going to the Rio Olympics to take photos was a life dream of mine. If it wasn’t for the scholarship, it wouldn’t have been possible,” Stier said. “I can’t thank Bill Brand enough.”
She plans to pursue a career in sports media and photography after graduation, and said her experience has been enriched by the relationships she has formed during her time at OHIO.
“My college experience has been incredible. Brand is right when he emphasizes that college is just as much about pursuing this awesome education as it is building relationships with friends, the community and your professors,” Stier said.
Brand believes the scholarship captures the true spirit of the University and Athens.
“The story of the 73 West State crew is not a unique one. It’s representative of the types of relationships people invest in during their time in Athens,” Brand said. “It’s about this remarkable community that always finds a way to come together to support each other. That’s what it’s all about.”