News Announcement
For more information contact Lynne Briggs or Cheryl Kight at
614-469-1950

Columbus, November 2009 

CANTON RESIDENT, RECIPIENT OF AN AULTMAN HOSPITAL
SCHOLARSHIP, PURSUING NURSING DEGREE AT MALONE UNIVERSITY

Shaila Appling, from Canton, is a junior at Malone University studying to become a general practitioner nurse.  She is the recipient of a scholarship from Aultman Hospital through The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ (OFIC) Ohio Scholars Program.

One of two children in a single-income family currently attending a private college, Shaila stresses the importance of the scholarship assistance.  “This award,” she says, “provides the opportunity for me to become the first grandchild to graduate from college, to become a nurse, and, ultimately, to travel to different countries as a missions nurse.”   

At Malone, she has been a member of the Student Senate for 3 years and has served as the Senate’s Multicultural Director for 2 years.  She has worked in Malone’s Admissions Office as a student representative and a tour guide to incoming students.  A focused student, Shaila currently carries a 3.4 GPA and during her sophomore year was nominated for 7 national academic awards.

Off campus, Shaila has gained valuable practical experience volunteering more than 500 hours shadowing and helping patients and students at the Belden Village Pain and Wellness Center, Concorde Therapy, and Mercy Medical Center and assisting her father, who has coached numerous sports for the Plain Local School District.    Active in her church, she is also involved as a leader with the Ladies Night Out International Youth Ministries and Cathedral of Life’s Youth Ministry.   Additionally, she founded a new ministry at Cathedral of Life, Flag Worship, and instructs and leads teenagers in the program.  Shaila also finds time to work as a crew member at Wendy’s and a hostess at Friday’s.

Aultman Hospital has partnered with OFIC for almost 10 years to provide college access to students from Stark or contiguous counties who are enrolled in an OFIC college or university and pursuing an undergraduate degree in Nursing, Business, Finance, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Health Care Management, or Physical Therapy.

OFIC is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 independent Ohio colleges and universities and operates one of the largest, most comprehensive and diverse scholarship management services in the state.  OFIC member colleges collectively enroll 98,000 students and award one-third of all bachelor’s degrees in the state. For 60 years OFIC has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education and has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship commitments through funds raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in private higher education. OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.