Adams County Community Foundation honors 67 scholarship recipients at banquet

Local philanthropy moved from ceremony to public investment Monday night as the Adams County Community Foundation honored 67 scholarship recipients at its second annual scholarship banquet in the W3CU auditorium in Winchester. More than 100 guests attended, including 41 recipients, their families and donors, as the foundation marked its 201st scholarship award overall.

Foundation leaders told the crowd, “This year, we are proud to present our 201st scholarship award.” The milestone underscored how quickly the program has grown since 2021, when the foundation said it awarded just five scholarships. In six years, the effort has expanded into five endowed scholarship funds: the C.E. Smith Scholarship Fund, Adams County Scholarship Fund, Charles Hugh McGovney Scholarship Fund, Earl & Helen Johnson Scholarship Fund and First State Bank Dan Ferguson Scholarship Fund.

The awards now reach students headed into college, technical programs, medical training, workforce pathways, trade certifications and other credentials. That range matters in Adams County, where travel distance and tuition costs can shape whether a student leaves home for school or stays closer to Winchester for training that can lead directly to work.

Board Director John Lawler said the foundation’s role in the county goes beyond scholarships, noting 65 grants to local organizations and adding, “Education is only one part of our mission.” Foundation President Linda Stepp said the scholarships represent both financial help and confidence in students’ futures, a signal to families and donors that local dollars are being used to build opportunity inside the county.

The foundation said it was the first in the area to offer scholarships for students pursuing trade and vocational training, and that early bet has already shown results. Leslie Phillips and Jessica Swayne used foundation scholarships to complete the Medical Assistant program at the Adams County Training and Business Center and are now employed in medical jobs. Their path is part of a broader pattern that includes recipients at Shawnee State University, Miami University, Marshall University and other schools.

For Adams County, the banquet was more than a celebration at the county seat. It was a reminder that scholarship dollars can do more than ease tuition bills. They can shape where students train, what jobs they can reach and whether the next generation can build its future close to home.