Highlighting generosity within our Otterbein community
Step Up for Students
An exciting new opportunity has begun at Otterbein, called the Step Up for Students Challenge. Start your very own four-year scholarship, while making use of a limited time pool of matching donor funds.
This challenge is a part of The Otterbein Fund Scholarship Program, which provides direct assistance to offset tuition expenses for a student’s four-year undergraduate experience. The $10,000 Otterbein Fund Scholarship can be the deciding factor for whether a student enrolls or graduates on time. While alumni love the experience of setting up their own scholarship and corresponding with their student, for some, this charitable commitment is out of reach.
The Step Up for Students Challenge provides $3,000 in matching funds, making an Otterbein Fund Scholarship a real possibility for donors who want to make an impact. This $7,000 commitment gradually “Steps Up” a donor’s giving over the course of four years, while making a substantial difference in the life of a student at Otterbein. In 18 months, Otterbein’s goal is to establish 47 new scholarships, to reflect the year Otterbein was founded — 1847.
We would like to highlight some of our amazing donors who have already stepped up to the challenge: Dr. Chris Cordle ’69 and Dr. Susan Palmer ’70, Luis Navarro and Mary Navarro P’11, Virginia Phillippi Longmire ’55, and Annie Upper Ames ’86.
Many continue to fund the traditional Otterbein Fund Scholarship Program; new donors include James F. Boltz ’86 and Bernie Campbell ’61.
To learn more, please contact Kathleen Bonte, executive director of development, at kbonte@otterbein.edu or 614.823.2707.
1847 Minutes for Otterbein a Success!
Thank you to all 412 donors who accepted the 1847 Minutes for Otterbein challenge! Thanks to you, we exceeded our goal of 250 donors and set a new challenge giving record — $105,392 raised for Otterbein.
Now more than ever, we’re grateful for the community that has come together to make a difference for Otterbein, since its founding in 1847. Donors Brad Longo ’12 and Karissa Dahdah Longo ’12, shared why it was important to them as young alumni to pay it forward and support Otterbein.
“We are beyond grateful for Otterbein because it provided us with so many memorable experiences and relationships. It is important for us to give back so that Otterbein can continue to do the same for other students.”
Brad also gives his time by serving on the Young Alumni Board. We’re grateful to the Longos for their support.
Brad Longo ’12 and Karissa Dahdah Longo’12
Cowan Hall Dressing Room Renovations
In July 2020, the Chang Family gave a generous donation to fund dressing room renovations for the Otterbein University Department of Theatre and Dance. The renovations will provide an enhanced behind-the-scenes experience for our talented theater and dance students. The Changs, parents of Cameron Chang ’20, reside in San Diego, CA, and made the gift during their son’s senior year at Otterbein. “We are honored to give back to the Department of Theatre and Dance. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to the outstanding faculty for their incredible training, guidance, and support our son was so fortunate to receive during his four years in the BFA Musical Theatre program at Otterbein.”
– Chang Family P’20
