2018-2019 Impact Report

“Ohio Wesleyan became my home-away-from-home. Scholarship support meant a lot to me and my family. Thank you for helping me attend a school as amazing as Ohio Wesleyan University.” – *Katie Vonderembse ’19*

YOU contributed to $43 million in scholarships.

For the 2018-19 school year, Ohio Wesleyan awarded $43,299,857 in financial aid. From need-based awards to merit scholarships that attracted the highest achievers, our ability to offer financial aid is as important for us as it is for the students who receive it.

Donors like you to the Ohio Wesleyan Fund and our endowment recognize that OWU students are a great investment. Memme is now giving back to the OWU Fund, investing in the next class of future entrepreneurs like him.

YOU invested in the future.

Just eight years ago, Memme Onwudiwe ’15 came to OWU from Xenia, Ohio, the recipient of several scholarships and aid. This year, he graduated from Harvard Law School, earning the Dean’s Award for Community Leadership while also acting as executive vice president of Evisort, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze legal contracts. Earlier this year, Evisort announced that it had raised $4.5 million in seed funding.

Visit owu.edu/outcomes for more information.

This summer OWU students like Taylor are interning with accounting firms, law firms, a presidential campaign, the Ohio Attorney General’s office, U.S. Congress, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and more!

YOU provided connections for students.

Taylor Honaker ’20 came to OWU to study Zoology and hopes to one day work at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Sam Valerius ’08 did the same and is now a veterinarian with Animal Care Unlimited in Columbus, Ohio. Sam helped arrange a one-week externship for Taylor through the Career Connection, the real-world and internship-focused portion of The OWU Connection, which is supported by donors like you.

“Our Cooking Matters program is one of the primary strategies for positively impacting food insecurity markers in Delaware County. ...Without the thoughtful, caring work of our students, none of this would be possible.” – *Chris Fink, Associate Professor*

YOU helped OWU give back to the community.

Gifts to the Ohio Wesleyan Fund support resources to help make community collaborations possible.

Associate Professor Chris Fink and students majoring in Health and Human Kinetics brought the national “Cooking Matters” program to Delaware to teach local families experiencing food insecurity how to plan and cook healthy meals on a budget.

YOU are helping to create tomorrow.

Our recently announced $60 million Residential Renewal will transform the west end of campus. A multiple phase plan for construction is under development which includes new senior student apartments (proposed design below) and a renovated Smith Hall (at right) to create a first-year student village.

This bold project to reimagine and reinvigorate our student housing will bring OWU in line with the attributes sought by incoming students while completely transforming the area where the JAYwalk ends. Investments in the physical campus are supported by the OWU Fund.

One in three OWU students plays on one of our 25 varsity sports teams, all of which are supported by your gifts to Team OWU.

YOU cheered.

This year saw the return of men’s wrestling and addition of women’s rowing. Bryce Wittman ’22 became the first Ohio Wesleyan wrestler to place in an NCAA Division III regional tournament when he placed fifth in the 157-pound bracket at the Central Regional tournament in February. In their first year of competition, three OWU rowers received All-Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference honors.

YOU made all this possible—and more!

YOU made an impact.

Reunion Totals – Thank you for your support

Campaign Progress

PDF version of the 2018-2019 Donor Impact Report