Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2016

Passing the Donor-Funded Scholarship Torch by Clem Boyd When Peter Voland ’13 and Brittany Smith ’14 received the Autio Family Scholarship in 2013, an inspiring legacy of giving was beginning to unfold. Clyde and JeanAutio established the Autio Family Scholarship in 2002 to help qualified junior students with significant financial need pursue careers in the fields of engineering, nursing, or education. They were eligible to receive the scholarship during their senior year as long as they maintained a GPA between 2.5 and 4.0, stayed with their major, and continued to show the personal qualities that had distinguished them for the award. Peter earned the Autio Family Scholarship for both the 2011– 12 and 2012–2013 academic years while working toward his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. He is now an engineer for Ball Aerospace in Beavercreek, Ohio. His now-wife, Brittany, earned the scholarship for two years also, in 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, on her way to a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She works for Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. While the extra money was critical, it was the Autios themselves who made the gift exceptional. “It was cool to see the people behind the scholarship,” Peter explained. “I had received a couple of scholarships before, but this was completely different. The Autios invested in our lives, and we got to know them well.” Once each semester, the Autios took their scholarship winners to dinner and spent the evening with them. Clyde and Jean sent emails encouraging their scholarship recipients. “At Christmas, they would take us out for Chinese food, then we’d follow them back to their house,” Peter said. “We would sit around the dining room table, eating dessert and sharing stories.” Part of that personal touch came from a home-state connection. “Jean was from Baraboo, Wisconsin, near the Wisconsin Dells, so she asked if we were Packers fans,” Peter said. “My family used to camp at Devil’s Lake, an extremely beautiful area near Baraboo, and we had been there many times over the years. Brit and I had also been to the Dells area on trips with our youth group.” When the Volands imagined founding their own scholarship, the Autios’ example inspired them. “They got to know us and our stories. They invested in students,” Peter said. “The way they pursued building relationships with the students made us want to do the same thing,” said Brittany. The Voland Family Scholarship encourages students from the couple’s home church, Calvary Bible Church in Neenah, Wisconsin, to attend Cedarville. In addition, students majoring in nursing or mechanical engineering may be considered for the financial award. Jean and Clyde Autio were on hand for the nurse pinning ceremony of Brittany (Smith) Voland ’14. Peter Voland ’13 is at far right. Advancing Cedarville 22 | Cedarville Magazine