Student Scholarship Impact Stories

Graci Jackson 

Person standing in front of flowering tree

My name is Graci Jackson, and I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to benefit from your scholarship. I am currently a sophomore undergraduate student at The Ohio State University pursuing a BFA in Dance and a minor in Integrative Approaches to Health and Wellness. I am also looking to pursue a minor in Nonprofit Management and a minor in Environment, Economics, Development, and Sustainability. Besides this, I am a participant in the Arts Scholars Program at OSU and a student research assistant under Dr. Maryanna Klatt who is the Director for the Center for Integrative Health at OSU. I am hoping to work in the nonprofit sector and then eventually become an entrepreneur combining my interests in the arts, health and wellbeing, hospitality, and environmental sustainability. The Helen P. Alkire Scholarship has specifically impacted me by giving me financial support to pursue my many academic and personal interests and goals at a top academic institution. As a result, I once again offer you my humblest thanks.

In gratitude,

Graci Jackson

Sydney Jones-Rumph

Dancer standing with one leg raised above head

My name is Sydney Jones-Rumph and I am currently a second-year dance major and studio art minor at The Ohio State University. I would like to start off this note by expressing my gratitude. I feel honored to have been selected as a recipient for this scholarship award. Dance has always been a very important part of my life, and I am very grateful to have continuous support in my education and my dancing dreams. Being an out of state student can be challenging when it comes to tuition costs therefore, I am extremely thankful that I was gifted these additional funds that I can put towards my tuition. This is crucial because I got a job as a dance teacher at a nearby studio and having a little extra money made it possible for me to pursue my goal of becoming a dance teacher. At the age of 12 I was given the opportunity to be a student teacher at the dance studio I attended which opened my eyes to the wonderful world of teaching dance. Since then, my love for children grew and teaching dance became my biggest aspiration. My biggest goal in life is to open my own pre professional dance studio that will focus on uplifting and supporting minority groups in dance. Growing up I was the only black dancer in all of my dance classes, and I always wonder what it would have been like to be surrounded by other dancers that looked like me. There is a lack of diversity in the dance world and my goal is to bring more dancers of color into the professional dance world which starts by giving them the opportunity to train. Not only do I want to be a dance teacher and an entrepreneur, but also a leader and role model for all my dancers to look up to. Thank you again for choosing me as a recipient for this scholarship. It has been an additional form of motivation that is pushing me to continue to work hard and stay determined so that I can continue to excel.

Mariya Moiseytseva 

Person looking over shoulder smiling

My name is Mariya (Masha) Moiseytseva and I am a current freshman at The Ohio State University. I was born and raised in the Chicago land area with roots in Russia and am pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts through the dance major path, as well as double minoring in business and Russian. I was drawn to The Ohio State Department of Dance in particular because of the countless opportunities and real-world connections it provides for all students. We have it in our power to establish relationships that will last outside of this department and open doors for us in professional settings and that in itself makes all the difference and sets this program apart from all others. The motto “Come as you are. Leave as you want to be” has genuinely inspired me to discover who I am through my movement and to embrace the artist I am becoming. As a first year in the program, I have had the opportunity to take a variety of classes ranging from African to Creative Technologies. Each class has been incredibly exciting and eye-opening, and I truly feel like this department is dedicated to producing well-rounded performers who are prepared to thrive in the professional world. I cannot wait to continue my journey here and would like to express my gratitude towards your generosity with this scholarship. There is nothing I love in this world more than dance, and this award has been one of many stepping stones that are helping me in achieving some lifelong goals. I aspire to enter the commercial dance world and hopefully one day travel and perform. I understand the sacrifices and commitments it requires on your part to be able to award these scholarships and I am beyond honored to be a recipient. After almost one full semester, it still feels surreal that this is my life now, so I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to pursue my dreams and aspirations. I promise to put in my work, time, and energy into this department and its resources so that you feel comfortable that your generosity is going into an education worth investing in. Coming to Ohio State has undeniably changed and impacted my life. The younger version of me would not believe my life at the present moment, and your support has made it possible for me to reach this stage. I will always be grateful and strive to give back to the community so that one day I will also have the ability to change someone’s life with my actions.

Once again, thank you,

Mariya Moiseytseva