Making Muskingum Home winners receive proclamations from county commissioners.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Commissioners presented official proclamations recognizing this year’s Make Muskingum Home recipients. Make Muskingum Home awards provide recipients with $50,000 of student loan debt repayments over five years if they agree to live and work in Muskingum County.

The program is a collaboration between the Muskingum County Community Foundation and the J.W. and M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation.  This year’s recipients were also recognized by the county commissioners at the Muskingum County Courthouse as a show of support for the program and its awardees.

“It feels awesome to know that they are supported and to know that this program is supported. This is a program that is based on making our community better. Not just for today and tomorrow, but for five, ten, twenty years down the road. And so, to be able to walk through this process with them from receiving this award to receiving this proclamation, watching how they, you know, introduce themselves to our community. It’s just an exciting and it’s a very rewarding event.”

Several of the awardees spoke of how their lives have changed as a result of gaining financial freedom from student loan debt.

“A problem I wasn’t anticipating I would have. Joining the military, I didn’t think I would have student loan debt but there’s just a couple issues, a couple of miscommunications, and I had to take out loans. And this is a big blessing that I don’t have that on my shoulders anymore,” said Roman Staley, a registered nurse at Genesis Healthcare Systems.

“I think it feels very heartwarming that these community members care so much about the people in their community and the people that are working in their community in all of these different fields that are making a difference. With the children, adults, everyone in the community,” said Olivia Simon, a teacher at West Muskingum Middle School.

“It’s a big weight lifted off my shoulders. I’m actually getting married in the summertime, so it’s perfect timing,” Jenna Burkhart, a teacher at Bishop Fenwick School.

Applications for next year’s Make Muskingum Home scholarships will open in the fall. You can visit MakeMuskingumHome.org to learn how to apply and check for eligibility.