Jezerinac Geers engineers, Jonathan Spiker left and Andrew Heigley right, flank from left to right: Mikayla Mayle and Emma Heigly, scholarship recipients, and Erin Schaad.

Thanks to the Design and Construction Community Two Scholarships are Awarded

Commitments to inspiration and leadership are two good reasons to award multiple John A. Schaad Achievement Scholarships this year! Thanks to the Central Ohio design and construction community, our efforts to raise more funds for the John Schaad Achievement Scholarship at our annual golf outing and Movember events were successful. Jezerinac Geers & Associates is proud to be able to pass those gifts on and provide two scholarships in honor of John.

Emma Heigley and Mikayla Mayle are the recipients of this year’s Achievement Scholarship, which was founded three years ago to honor John, a long-time, valued engineer with our firm, who lost his courageous battle with cancer in 2013. Jezerinac Geers & Associates, Inc., along with John’s family, started the scholarship to honor his compassion for others, tireless work ethic, and the inspiration he provided to those who surrounded him.

John and his wife, Erin, both graduates of Morgan High School, benefited from local scholarships as they pursued their college degrees, and it was John and Erin’s hope, that one day they could establish a scholarship to give back to their school and the community they are proud to call home.

For Emma, the experience of having teachers who genuinely cared about her schoolwork, as well as her future, influenced her desire to learn. She’ll start college this fall at Muskingum University to become a teacher with the intent to encourage other students, as her teachers encouraged her, to appreciate the joy of learning.

Softball has been part of Mikayla’s life for as long as she can remember. Through her experiences on the field, she has learned the importance of teamwork, coach-ability and respect – three key elements of leadership. Those are characteristics she’ll take with her to Marietta College this fall where she plans to earn a degree in biology.

Scholarship recipients are selected based upon their leadership roles, participation in school and community activities, work and volunteer experiences, and a short essay. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and full-time enrollment in undergraduate study are required.

“The themes of inspiration and leadership are what made Emma and Mikayla stand out among the scholarship applicants this year. John exemplified those qualities and I know he would consider it an honor to have these two young women carry those traits into the future,” said Dan Geers, president of Jezerinac Geers.

Contributions to the John A. Schaad Achievement Scholarship may be made to the Morgan Education Foundation, P.O. Box 626, Malta, OH, 43758. Your donation is tax deductible.