The Schipfer Family Scholarship at the Darke County Foundation was awarded to Versailles High School graduates Carson Heitkamp, left, and Kaleb Petitjean, right.
Submitted photos
The Schipfer Family Scholarship at the Darke County Foundation was awarded to Greenville High School graduates Kaden Shoffstall, left, and Jack Chick, right.
Submitted photos
The Steven Stucke Scholarship of the Darke County Foundation was awarded to Alex Dircksen, pictured with donors Melvin and Mary Ann Stucke of Versailles.
Submitted photos
The Jan and James Thomas Scholarship of the Darke County Foundation was awarded to Greenville graduates Sierrah Stauffer, left, and Gavin Swank, right.
Submitted photos
The Joseph R. Mills Scholarship of the Darke County Foundation was awarded to Arcanum High School graduate William Chadwick, right. Presenting the award is Joe’s mom, Sue Mills, of Greenville.
Submitted photos
Donors Support Foundation Scholarships
DARKE COUNTY — The Darke County Foundation recently awarded $230,000 in scholarships to 77 graduates of Darke County high schools. These awards are made possible by donations from Darke County residents and former residents. The Foundation would like to recognize just a few of these generous donors who are committed to encouraging the careers and furthering the education of local students.
The Schipfer Family Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 by Marty and Dan Schipfer of Greenville. As a guidance counselor at Versailles Elementary and Middle School for many years, Marty realized the need for vocational careers and wanted to give confidence to students pursuing 2-year or shorter certificate programs. Each year, graduates of Greenville High School and Versailles High School are selected to receive a $1,500 scholarship that is renewable for a second year.
The 2024 recipients of the Schipfer Family Scholarship are Carson Heitkamp and Kaleb Petitjean of Versailles and Kaden Shoffstall and Jack Chick of Greenville.
The Steven Stucke Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of a Versailles student who died in 1979 shortly before his high school graduation. Steven’s parents, Melvin and Mary Ann Stucke of Versailles, established this scholarship to honor their son who was dedicated to his work on the family farm. The scholarship rewards Versailles graduates pursuing agriculture-related careers. The recipient of a $1,500 scholarship is Alex Dircksen.
Jan and James Thomas of Ocala, Florida, established a scholarship fund for Greenville High School graduates studying engineering, education, healthcare, or computer science. Jim Thomas graduated from GHS in 1953. The $3,000 scholarships are renewable for 4 years. This year’s recipients are Sierrah Stauffer and Gavin Swank.
The Joseph R. Mills Scholarship honors an Arcanum graduate who died in 2014. Joe lived his entire life in a wheelchair but inspired everyone by obtaining a college degree and working as a software engineer. The recipient of a $2,500 scholarship is Arcanum graduate William Chadwick.
The Darke County Foundation connects donors with charitable causes that are meaningful to them. For information on starting a fund to support a scholarship or non-profit organization, call the Darke County Foundation at (937) 548-4673 or email [email protected]. Visit the Foundation website at www.darkecountyfoundation.org.
