19th McCoy Scholarship goes to local student

Katie Kitchen ’21 (Marietta, Ohio) will not be a new face on the Marietta College campus this fall.

The recent Marietta High School graduate took classes through the College Credit Plus program, and she said that experience is just one of the reasons why she is enrolling at the College this fall.

“It was different than taking classes from (Marietta High School) … specifically one of Dr. (Mark) Schaefer’s classes,” Kitchen said. “It was really discussion based and what the students really wanted to get into. Dr. Schaefer made it really interactive and really fun. It was during election season and it was a (Political Science) class, so it was really good.”

Kitchen is excited to take other classes with Dr. Schaefer and many of the other dedicated faculty at Marietta College. Adding to her excitement is the fact that she joins the Marietta family this fall as the 19th McCoy Scholar.

“It’s a validation for the four years that I’ve worked hard and it made the path really clear that Marietta is the way to go. This was a really good blessing,” she said. “I like that I already have a relationship with some of the professors. Being able to be comfortable where I am and grow through that I think I’ll be able to thrive there.”

The John G. and Jeanne B. McCoy Scholarship was endowed in 1998 by John G. ’35 and Jeanne B. McCoy to promote and recognize outstanding academic ability and achievement in an incoming freshman student. The award includes tuition, fees, room and board, and is renewable for four years.

The scholarship is worth close to $200,000 over the next four years.

“This is very special,” said Marietta College President William N. Ruud. “If you look at the list (of recipients), they’re from all over Ohio. They’re from New Jersey, they’re from New York, they’re from Alaska, so to know we’ve been able to have a program attractive enough to a local high school senior … Katie could have gone to a lot places, and she picked us — that makes a statement about our quality.”

Kitchen hasn’t decided on a major yet, but she knows one thing she’ll do as a member of PioNation.

“I’m going to row,” she said. “I applied to five schools and four of them had rowing. It’s really important to me to keep being active in all parts of my life. I really fell in love with being on the water, and Coach (Brad) Hemmerly seems like a really positive kind of coach.”

Kitchen actually found out she was getting a scholarship from Marietta as she was on her way to tour Ohio State’s boathouse.

“So that really changed my plans,” she said. “Then I was at my (high school) boathouse when I found out about the McCoy. My parents got the call before I did and they came in looking all somber. I was sure someone had died. But it was a really good day.”

Kitchen said she’s happy that she can provide this financial relief to her parents, Scott and Kelly.

“It’s incredible,” she said. “Being able to get out of college without any debt, and any savings or scholarships that I have earned will give me a really good boost for whatever I end up doing.”