Generations of Columbus pupils will certainly go to Denison College tuition-free many thanks to a main Ohio pair developing a $21 million endowment.
Denison revealed last month that graduates Teckie and also Don Shackelford developed the endowment to constantly fund the Denison-Columbus Partnership, a collaboration in between the college and also the university gain access to program I Know I Can to send out up to 20 Columbus City Schools pupils yearly to Denison on full-tuition scholarships. The partnership began in 2016 with the very first pupils getting to Denison a year later on.
Teckie Shackelford is among the creators of I Know I Can, which began in 1988. Shackelford, a previous CCS educator, claimed she was increased with the suggestion that an individual might go anywhere they intended to go if they obtained an education and learning and also strove.
“I comprehend what education and learning can do and also what it does not often do, so I desired the most effective for these children that are the most effective at this moment in time,” she claimed.
Don Shackelford retired in 2015 as chairman of Ruby Hillside Investments, a common fund firm in Columbus. He is likewise the retired chair of 5th Third Financial Institution of Central Ohio and also acted as chair of State Cost savings Financial institution for almost thirty years, according to the Denison site.
The Shackelfords have deep family members connections to the college. Besides both being alums, Teckie Shackelford’s sibling likewise participated in and also her papa offered on the board. Don Shackelford acted as a university trustee for greater than 35 years.
Considering that the beginning of the program, Denison has actually registered in between 10-20 Columbus City Schools graduates yearly, and also the college makes every effort to fill up all 20 areas, claimed Greg Sneed, vice head of state of registration monitoring at Denison.
With Columbus in the college’s “yard,” Sneed claimed it is necessary to Denison to generate pupils from the area.
“As a university, as a not-for-profit company, we have a task to offer our regional constituency,” he claimed. “I believe this is one amongst several manner ins which we kind of symbolize that task to offer the pupils in our regional area and also throughout the state of Ohio.”
Teckie Shackelford claimed the pupils are high determined and also each are celebrities in their very own right. One has actually all prepared finished from Denison and also is participating in graduate institution at the College of Michigan. She has desires to be the following poet that reviews at a governmental commencements, Shackelford claimed.
“We’ve simply had one success after an additional and also these are not children that are not doing anything,” she claimed. “They obtain used instantly due to the fact that Denison has an excellent positioning workplace, and also they succeed.”
Due To The Fact That I Know I Can is installed in CCS, Sneed claimed therapists can recognize and also hire high attaining, deserving, involved pupils that may not or else go to a university like Denison.
As well as the program make the Denison pupil body a lot more varied, Teckie Shackelford claimed.
“When I existed, everyone was cookie cutter, we were just the same,” she claimed. “Currently at Denison, it’s a really various location, however the society is still the very same, which is to strive and also be successful and also be well informed. The society hasn’t transformed, however the populace has and also together with that have actually transformed the lives of the children that go there.”
Scott Landis-Wilson, a CCS college graduation management train, claimed 3 of his graduates are registered at Denison via the program, which likewise supplies additional assistance to pupils in their elderly of senior high school to guarantee they prosper as soon as they get here on the Granville school.
“It’s provided the chance to get a premium quality education and learning at basically no charge to them. My pupils that are presently there via the program are not simply doing well, however they’re growing,” he claimed.
With program financing currently safe , Landis-Wilson claimed, claimed a growing number of pupils will certainly pursue gaining among the 20 areas.
“It’s simply mosting likely to offer a growing number of pupils possibilities that or else would not exist,” he claimed.
After 5 years, there are currently around 80 CCS pupils registered via the program, Sneed claimed, and also it develops an emergency. The college hosts occasions for the pupils beyond the class, permitting them to develop an assistance network they can depend on for their social and also psychological demands along with scholastic assistance.
As well as the program has the outcomes to reveal its success, Teckie Shackelford claimed.
“For I Know I Can, Denison was a terrific fit due to the fact that the children grad,” she claimed. “Retention issues are an issue all over. We do not have that at Denison due to the fact that the children are earnest and also significant and also well certified.”
Sneed claimed the program has a retention price, suggesting the variety of pupils that return for their student year, of 96%, which is very high. He included that Denison’s retention price for college in its entirety has to do with 91%.
Of the CCS pupils that have actually gone to Denison a minimum of 4 years, Sneed claimed they have a 100% college graduation price, which they anticipate to keep this year.
By participating in the college tuition-free, Landis-Wilson claimed it permits pupils to join various other programs, such as Greek life and also various other pupil companies.
“Also points like that that aren’t actually component of the program, it permits them to make use of those possibilities too and also acquire management abilities by being associated with tasks that or else might have run out reach monetarily,” he claimed.
Landis-Wilson claimed with the program’s future protected, he wishes lasting that pupils will certainly understand they do have possibilities for which they can aim.
“Numerous times our children, they simply do not see a future. By understanding that there is a program similar to this, you understand, it provides wish, and also wish it’s so essential in culture today,” he claimed.
mdevito@gannett.com
740-607-2175
Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
