June 6, 2023

When visiting colleges last year, Fairview High School senior Elizabeth Krischan fell in love with Ohio University. What happened next solidified OU as her college choice and created local connections for one of its newest students. 

On May 4, Krischan was recognized with a $5,582 scholarship from the Ohio University Women’s Club of Greater Cleveland to attend OU this fall. That money, combined with other scholarships from OU, helped cover Krischan’s entire tuition for her first year in Athens.

“OU was just where I wanted to be,” Krischan said of her college choice. “Both visits at OU, everyone was so welcoming. We walked into OU for our second visit and some kid was walking by and he screamed, ‘OU, oh yeah!’ It was just great and super fun.”

Krischan learned about the scholarship opportunity from an aunt, an alumna of Ohio University. After applying, Krischan received a call from the OUWC of Greater Cleveland on St. Patrick’s Day, informing her she was named the Freshman Scholarship winner. Fifty-two local high school students applied for the scholarship.

“Providing scholarships for young women attending Ohio University is a key part of the founding mission of the Ohio University Women's Club of Greater Cleveland -- along with friendly service to the university and promoting social contact among our members,” Amy Hollis, president of OUWC of Greater Cleveland said in an email. 

“Every year since the club's founding in 1939, at least one student from the Cleveland area has been provided with full tuition,” Hollis added. “More than 140 women over the 84-year history of the club have been honored by the membership of our organization with a freshman scholarship.”

“They called and told me that they got my application and that I was their top choice,” Krischan explained. “They also said they wanted to cover my entire freshman year tuition, and I freaked out. I actually wasn’t fully committed to OU when I got the scholarship, but I committed the next day.”

After making that commitment, Krischan attended a ceremony at the Aviator Event Center in Cleveland to officially accept her scholarship from the group. The event allowed Krischan to talk about her experiences at FHS, which included involvement in Key Club, National Honor Society, track, cross country, Yearbook Club and Student Council.

“It really showed me how strong their alumni network is,” Krischan expressed. “All of these women graduated decades ago and still feel such a strong connection with OU. They were passionate about giving me the scholarship and all the freshmen money to go there and have that same experience they did.”

“Club members enjoy being connected to students on campus,” Hollis expressed. “The alumnae are always amazed and impressed with the activities and accomplishments of the students, and rightfully so! I'm sure that Elizabeth will have her own exciting stories to share as she explores her talents and develops her skills during the coming year.”

Krischan is currently undecided about her major but is interested in possibly pursuing a journalism or physical therapy degree. She looks forward to getting on campus to meet new people as she discovers the next phase of her life. 

“I’m really excited to just meet new people,” Krischan said. “I’ve been going to Fairview my whole life and love it. I love everyone here and all of my friends, but it will be exciting to move past and have a whole new group of people around me. And, once I figure out what my major will be, I’m going to take classes that really interest me and are focused on what I want to do in the future.”