LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – The Lima Rotary marked a milestone earlier this year by donating more than $1 million in scholarships to area students.
The awards, known as non-traditional student scholarships, have helped recipients achieve their educational goals and, in many cases, change their lives.
Jennifer Truman, a mother of four, described herself as as non-traditional a student as you can get. At age 40, she decided to attend college to earn a degree and help support her family financially.
Truman is now a graduate of Rhodes State College and a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She said the scholarship provided more than just financial assistance.
“It also just encouraged me to keep going. It basically gave me a quiet fan club, you know, rooting for my success. So that was really helpful, and just even initiating, because I didn't know what I was doing, and I just started scared,” Truman said.
Once she caught the “education bug,” Truman continued her studies and now holds a master’s degree in nursing. She also noted that she started college the same year as her oldest child.
