2020 class of The Gates Foundation-Ross County Scholar’s Fund recipients announced

The newest class of The Gates Foundation-Ross County Scholar’s Fund recipients has been announced. 

Realizing the value of a college education’s impact in opening the doors of opportunity for young people, Chillicothe natives Larry Gates and his wife, Mary, established the fund in 2004 to help Ross County students realize their ambitions.

Since the awarding of the first scholarships, more than 220 grants have been given to deserving Ross County students, and the 2020 recipients mark the 17th class of scholars to utilize the grants to pursue their college ambitions. The scholarships are intended to help offset the cost of an undergraduate college education not covered by financial aid and/or scholarships.

This year, the Foundation awarded 18 scholarships, including 13 continuing students and five students who will begin their college journeys this fall.

Through this scholarship fund, Mary and Larry Gates have captured the spirit of this region and have put into practice the value of “paying it forward.” 

“We are both blessed to have grown up in this community and wanted to help current and future Ross County residents have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, and a college education is the best gift an individual can receive in that regard,” Larry Gates said.

The endeavor has been a labor of love for the scholarship fund’s founders.

“Some of the joys of this undertaking have been the wonderful people we have met, especially the scholarship recipients and their families,” the Gateses said. “To see these young people go forward and have rewarding academic careers and then professional careers is tremendously rewarding. People ask if we would do it again, and the answer is unequivocally yes.”

2020 – Ross County Scholars

New recipients include: 

Renewed recipients include: 

Gates Foundation directors include Nicole McLaughlin, Michelle Shanholtzer, Matthew Haller, Kimberly Hirsch, Nancy Harris, Jack Jeffery and Valerie Miller. 

Larry Gates is a retired executive and has been active in the Chillicothe community and with Ohio University. He has served as chairman of the Regional Coordinating Council at Ohio University Chillicothe and served on the board of trustees for The Ohio University Foundation in Athens. Additionally, he worked to develop the concept for the Entrepreneur Center at Ohio University Chillicothe and served as fundraising chairman for Ohio University Chillicothe Child Development Center.  

The donor-advised fund is administered by The Ohio University Foundation, the private fundraising arm of the University. More information on the Gates Foundation-Ross County Scholar’s Fund is available online at www.ohio.edu/gatesscholarship/.