For many college students, finding funding to ease the costs of higher education is a frustrating challenge. But for Kent State Geauga students at Twinsburg Academic Center (TAC), Twinsburg Township and Reminderville Trustees have devised a plan and funded a way forward for local students.
Twinsburg Academic Center awarded a record-high 19 JEDD (Joint Economic Development District) Scholarships in the 2023-24 academic year and is now awarding scholarships for the 2024-25 school year. These financial gifts can be used to defray students’ costs associated with tuition, books, fees, and supplies. In total, 53 Twinsburg-area students have been awarded the JEDD scholarship since 2008.
Several different scholarships are made available to the student body through Kent State’s Scholarship Universe. This one-stop-shop helps match students to scholarships they may not be aware are available to them. Notably, the JEDD Scholarship is expressly designed for residents and workers (and/or their spouse, child, or stepchild) in Twinsburg Township and the Village of Reminderville. Students can apply each academic year they meet qualifications, compounding their scholarship benefits.
Kaolyn Noland-Lea is one of those fortunate students. She is currently a sophomore majoring in communications. Last year, she spoke at the JEDD Scholarship Luncheon, sharing how receiving the JEDD Scholarship has impacted her educational journey.
“It has paved the way for my dream to become a reality,” she says.
The lower cost of attending TAC, plus receiving the scholarship through the JEDD, relieved the pressure of paying high tuition costs for traditional college. “Typical college student loan debt follows students around for almost, or all, of their adult life,” Kaolyn recognizes.
“With attending TAC and being awarded a scholarship, I have been able to avoid many educational costs. Overall, I believe scholarships help students with stress relief, educational and career goals, and will continue to impact students in positive ways.”
Jim Balogh has served on the Twinsburg Township Board of Township Trustees since 2007. A lifelong Township resident, he graduated from R. B. Chamberlin High School in Twinsburg and is also a 1972 Kent State alum.
Trustee Balogh explains that the JEDD was established in 2002 to promote jobs and economic development in the area. With trustees committed to higher education, workforce development, and student success, they established an endowed scholarship in 2015 to support local college students, pledging to raise $150,000 by 2020 ($30,000 annually for five years). Becki Gierman, Kent State Geauga’s Associate Director of External Relations, says that the fund is now self-sustaining; it will continue supplying JEDD scholarships going forward.
Trustee Balogh says, “It’s an exciting way for us trustees to give back to the community, to offer this scholarship as a way to help our residents experience higher education at a reasonable cost. I am grateful that TAC is located close by, providing an exciting place to witness young people finding their way forward.”
He adds, “These scholarship awards have been so beneficial to our students. The recipients express such gratitude to the JEDD board about how crucial this scholarship has been to them and their ability to improve their educational experience.”
As one of these promising scholarship recipients, Kaolyn grew up in Chagrin Falls and graduated from Kenston High School in 2020. But she followed the example of her sister and her sister’s boyfriend to start her college career at TAC.
“Ever since I joined the campus, my education and connections I have made at TAC have propelled me farther than I ever thought was possible towards a career and positive future,” she says. “My professors care about their students, not only inside of the classroom but outside of the classroom, as well. I truly would not be able to be in the position I am in without the help of my professors.”
“In addition, the JEDD Scholarship has helped me with furthering my education, helping deflate the stress of the high cost of college, and has pushed me forward into a future to achieve my academic goals and pursuits. The JEDD Scholarship was the first scholarship I’ve ever applied to and I’m grateful for the impact granted to me through the JEDD Scholarship and my education.”
For those interested in applying for the , they must be enrolled in at least one class at the Twinsburg Academic Center, pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree.
Students can also log onto Scholarship Universe and complete a profile to find additional scholarships they may be eligible to receive. The more questions students answer, the better their search results will be, connecting them to more scholarships.
With her hopes on a future career in journalism or human resource management, Kaolyn says, “The JEDD Scholarship has impacted my educational journey by paving the way for my dream to become a reality. My educational experience is now magnified with the support and efforts I have received from the JEDD board, whose dedication to the community and students will be remembered and appreciated for years to come.”
The 19 JEDD Scholarship award recipients from the 2023-24 academic year include:
Nathan Robert Anderson
Maheshinderpreet S. Bhullar
John Corbin
Connor Matthew David
Maria E. Delegram
Nathan S. Didonato
Thomas J. Flauto
Sarah A. Gessler,
Angelica Kathleen Hill
Kristi Hlad
Harman Preet Kaur
Ryan James Lipnos,
Kyndal Na’rese Mingo
Kaolyn Andrelana Noland-Lea
Ellis Peek
Latricia Robinson
Sean Shirokov
Grace Elizabeth Toner
Adaliah J. Welling