A Burden Lifted
Casey Petrae is an achiever. Senior class vice-president, prom king, active in volunteer work, leader of the school spirit squad, works part-time during the school year, full-time during the summer. He’s shown so much responsibility and maturity beyond his years that his classmates in Vandalia Butler’s class of 2019 nicknamed him the “Class Dad.”
So when it came time to apply for colleges, it was safe to assume that Casey checked all the boxes. Except how to pay for it. Enter The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners.
In the spring of 2019 Casey interviewed for the organization’s inaugural college scholarship awarded to students whose values aligned with our Connor Group Core Values, were college-bound, and able to demonstrate a financial need.
The selection committee was so enamored with Casey’s perseverance and grit that it added to his $5,000 first-place scholarship, surprising him with a much bigger reward during an awards ceremony at his high school. The Connor Group pledged to cover the remaining costs of his freshman year at Ohio State, where he’s now majoring in healthcare administration. And, if he continues to hit certain goals, he’ll receive the same funds throughout his undergrad studies.
“I knew about the $5,000 scholarship, but then I saw the check,” he said. “I would have never guessed that this would have happened. It will be well worth it.”
Check out this video to learn more about Casey and his story:
Kids & Community Partners also gave a $2,500 runner-up scholarship to Briana Fecke, a Chaminade Julliene graduate now studying at Bowling Green State.
“The Kids & Community Scholarship means the absolute world to me,” she said. “It was a big burden off my shoulders, knowing someone was out there willing to help me.”
Check out this video to learn about Briana:
We’re now accepting applications for the 2021 Kids & Community Partners Scholarship. Click below to apply.