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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
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Cedarville Magazine