Legacy Scholarship recipients continue proud Bobcat tradition

Legacy Scholarship recipient Molly Carrier and her parents, Les and Heather Carrier, both BBA ’92, pose with Rufus.

Many students are drawn to Ohio University for its beautiful scenery, exceptional academic programs and opportunities to engage in life-changing research. But for some Bobcats, their love for and connection to OHIO began long before they stepped onto the bricks of an Ohio University campus.

As children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of OHIO alumni, Ohio University Legacy Scholarship recipients are outstanding undergraduate students who continue the Bobcat tradition within their families and carry with them a deep appreciation for the University.

This year’s Legacy Scholarship recipients are:

Grace Counts

A first-year student studying chemistry with a focus in pre-medicine, Grace Counts was a member of the Bobcat family from birth. Her parents attended and met at OHIO. Her older sister followed in her parents’ footsteps, earning her undergraduate degree at OHIO and is now enrolled in the University’s Physician Assistant Practice master’s degree program in Dublin, Ohio.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Grace Counts follows her parents and older sister in embarking on her Ohio University experience.

Counts feels grateful and excited for the opportunities available at OHIO. She is a student within the nationally recognized Honors Tutorial College and the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Early Assurance Program. The program provides highly talented students early admission to the medical school, academic enrichment opportunities and, for some, the option of earning their undergraduate and doctoral degrees in as few as seven years.

“I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a doctor,” Counts said. “I’ve just always known that’s what I wanted to do.”

Since starting her OHIO journey, Counts has found her Bobcat family on campus, noting the people and professors who have made her feel welcome since her very first tour of campus. She’s also found a plethora of opportunities to get involved in ways that feed her academic passions, joining Project for the Kids, which fundraises and generates awareness for children affected by terminal illnesses and disabilities, and a research group that is working with DNA.

“I just have always felt like a Bobcat, and now I officially am one,” Counts said.

Caroline Saracina

Although her mom is a Bobcat, Caroline Saracina had considered attending other universities with a smaller student body. It wasn’t until she toured OHIO with her mother on a “perfect October day” that she began to see Ohio University through her mother’s eyes and Athens as a potential home.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Caroline Saracina is sharing her OHIO experience with her Bobcat mom.

“I started to realize all of the opportunities I would have here as compared to a smaller school,” Saracina said.

A sophomore studying anthropology, Saracina has embraced many of those opportunities—both inside and outside of the classroom—and, in the process, has begun writing her own OHIO story.

After dipping her toes into a variety of coursework within different colleges to determine a field of study, she found her academic path, drawn to classes that discussed different cultures and world religions.

“I’m learning so much,” Saracina said. “In high school, it’s math, science, basic stuff, and now, I’m learning about different people and … different classmates’ perspectives.”

Saracina is involved in Alpha Phi Omega, a community service fraternity, and works for the Ohio University Golf and Tennis Center.

For Saracina, the Legacy Scholarship has deepened her connection to her mother, to Ohio University and to the OHIO Alumni Association. After receiving the Legacy Scholarship, Saracina stopped into OHIO’s Konneker Alumni Center—a visit that expanded her Bobcat family.

“It feels more like home to know that now I have a connection with the Alumni Center here,” Saracina said.

Molly Carrier

A junior studying translational health exercise biology in the Honors Tutorial College, Molly Carrier is one of many Bobcats in her family, including her parents and two aunts.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Molly Carrier is following in the footsteps of both of her parents.

Although members of her family hoped she would continue the Bobcat tradition, they remained quiet, trying not to influence this life-changing decision. A campus tour and conversation with the dean of the Honors Tutorial College played an integral part in Carrier’s decision to attend OHIO.

“It was a really fantastic meeting, and that’s when I knew I wanted to come here,” Carrier said. “I was like, this is for me; this is what I want.”

Carrier hasn’t been disappointed, noting the Honors Tutorial College’s commitment to one-on-one engagement with faculty as well as opportunities in the STEM field and to do research that she’s experienced.

In addition to excelling academically, Carrier is immersing herself in campus life, holding leadership positions in student organizations such as Diabetes Outreach, Support and Education for Students (DOSES) and Ohio University College Republicans. She also works part time as an introductory microbiology laboratory assistant, is studying for the Medical College Admission Test and will soon begin applying to medical schools.

Carrier noted that her family, though all proud Bobcats, pursued different hobbies and interests during their undergraduate years. Her father was in a business fraternity, her mother was a soccer player and one of her aunts was involved in sorority life.

“We’re all in different realms of OU,” Carrier said. “I think this is pretty cool because it brings our whole family together.”

Josie Waugh

Josie Waugh’s OHIO experience began before she was born—when her mother, a married commuter student two months pregnant with Waugh, graduated from Ohio University. More than 20 years later, Waugh is gearing up to become just the latest member of her family to receive a diploma from OHIO, following in the footsteps of her mother, uncle, two aunts and a cousin.

Legacy Scholarship recipient Josie Waugh and her mother, Charity Waugh, BFA ’96, are pictured in front of Donkey Coffee in Athens, Ohio.

A senior, Waugh was drawn to OHIO for its music therapy program.

“It’s one of the best in the nation,” Waugh said. “The faculty is great. The School of Music in general is wonderful. I’m very happy.”

As a passionate musician and caring professional, Waugh aims to work as a music therapist for hospice care, supporting families during difficult times.

To prepare for her future career, Waugh has taken advantage of on-campus organizations and serves as a leader in music-affiliated clubs. She is the vice president of the American Music Therapy Association of Students (AMTAS) and the president of the Ohio University Singers. She also sings in the choir at First Christian Church in Athens, Ohio.

Hailing from a long lineage of OHIO graduates, Waugh expressed how special it is to be able to continue the legacy.

“It’s just really wonderful to be able to bond with my family in that way,” Waugh said.

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The OHIO Alumni Association is accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Legacy Scholarship. For information and the online application form, click here. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.