Given a financial second wind, students keep graduation pace

Sometimes even a champion sprinter needs a gentle push to cross the finish line.

Inspired by his late brother and buoyed by some well-timed financial support, Kendric Cornelius ’23 completed an epic 11-year Carthage journey in May. Earning a degree in exercise and sport science gave him a bigger rush than anything he felt as a four-year track and field competitor.

“Walking across that stage, I was expecting to have superpowers or something,” he said. “I figured anything after that is smooth sailing.”

In 2016, with a little more than a year’s worth of credits left to complete, Mr. Cornelius had set his Carthage studies aside. Still searching for a career passion despite multiple major changes and determined to support his newborn daughter, he shifted focus to a family-sustaining wage.

The two-time conference champ leaned into his passion, finding work as a high school track and field coach. That rewarding job outlined a clear direction for Mr. Cornelius as a physical education teacher and coach.

Re-enrolling at Carthage in fall 2021, he resolved to complete his education in memory of his younger brother. Courtland Cornelius, a promising Carthage studentathlete whose 4x100-meter relay team still holds the school record, tragically drowned in summer 2018 shortly after completing his first year.

Finances still presented a barrier for Kendric, but a small retention award from the Wiggan-Kenniebrew Endowed Scholarship Fund lowered that hurdle. The funding allowed him to give up a time-consuming job in furniture sales so he could concentrate on coursework.

Hired as a PE teacher at Bolingbrook (Illinois) High School, he’ll start this fall while wrapping up his certification through Carthage’s Master of Education program. After the school day ends, Mr. Cornelius will continue to coach nearby at Nequa Valley High School, where he assists the jumpers.

He and his wife, Rachel Davey, met as Carthage students and now have two children. She ultimately transferred to another school, but Mr. Cornelius grew too attached to the College to leave.

That attachment grew even stronger when the extra aid nudged him across the finish line.

“I’d get lost if I went anywhere else,” he says. “The bulk of my life is now because of my time at Carthage.”

Timely relief

As part of the comprehensive fundraising campaign that’s officially launching this summer, Carthage is looking to fortify and expand the scholarship and grant funding available to existing students.

College provides a safe space for students to steel themselves against the rough-andtumble “real world.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t render them (or their families) immune to hardship.

“We’ve seen firsthand that even a small sum of money can make a huge impact on a student’s ability to remain enrolled,” says

Abigail Hanna, executive vice president for administration. “Unexpected car repairs, medical bills, or computer problems can leave someone with an agonizing decision: push ahead with their education or abandon it. By issuing small emergency grants to Carthage students like those, we’ve seen extremely gratifying results.”

Established by Trustee Emeritus Loren H. Semler Jr. ’65 and his wife, the late Vickie Semler ’67, the Semler Bridge Scholarship Fund is designed precisely for those instances. For years, these scholarships have provided extra cushion for students whose financial need unexpectedly spikes.

That can happen for a variety of reasons.

For Bridge Scholarship recipient Faelan O’Shaughnessy ’21, it was the ripple effect of a traumatic brain injury she suffered in a car accident at 16. Although her parents had diligently saved for her education, massive medical bills gradually drained those funds.

In the aftermath of the crash, doctors declared college off the table for Ms. O’Shaughnessy. As a high school junior, she struggled just to read and write. But neurological therapy fueled a stunning turnaround that led to Carthage.

Fittingly, she majored in neuroscience, regaining confidence as the mysteries of the brain were revealed to her. A dream that seemed permanently derailed just a few years earlier remained on track thanks to caring donors and a young woman’s persistence.

“A college education is a privilege in itself, but attending college when previously told it was not an option makes it much more valuable,” said Ms. O’Shaughnessy, who is now a doctoral candidate in occupational therapy at The Ohio State University. “I actively avoid taking the easy path through life, and I enjoy the obstacles and struggles that come with a journey.”

Proactive support

Carthage now conducts an annual review of every student’s personal and financial circumstances to identify those with rising need. Qualifying students automatically receive a Firebird Retention Scholarship to help close the gap.

Returning students can still apply for a Bridge Scholarship and other emergency funding, but this new proactive approach makes it easier for families to budget for their child’s education. Already, Firebird awards have helped more than 350 students to stay enrolled.

The Firebird scholarship grew out of Carthage’s ongoing work in the Moon Shot for Equity, a nationwide initiative to wipe out racial and income gaps in retention and graduation rates by 2030. Crossdepartmental teams are exploring several avenues to keep students progressing toward their degrees.

The initial results hold promise. Among full-time undergraduate students enrolled in fall 2022, a record-high 94% returned to Carthage in spring 2023. Looking deeper, midyear figures for students who identify as Black (98% retention rate) or Hispanic (97% retention rate) exceeded the overall percentage.

More debt-conscious than in preceding generations, today’s students consistently pitch in toward their own education. While that kind of sweat equity has immense value, there’s a tipping point. And Marc Arias ’23 found it.

At one point in college, Mr. Arias juggled four jobs and six classes, and it took a toll on his grades. Compounding the problem, his father lost his job during the pandemic. A well-timed Bridge Scholarship helped him to scale back and restore balance.

Most likely, Mr. Arias would’ve willed himself across the finish line without outside help, but the quality of his Carthage experience would have suffered. He played two years of NCAA Division III baseball with the Firebirds and got involved in the Pi Sigma Epsilon business fraternity, which won an award this past spring for the most improved chapter nationwide.

After graduating in May with a degree in marketing and management, Mr. Arias dove into the business sector with a fulltime position as an account representative at technology services company CDW.

“The financial burden has always been on my mind, and getting awarded this scholarship relieved some of my stress,” he says. “Without a doubt, the decision to attend Carthage has been gratifying for my life.”

As financial need rises, students rely on scholarships to minimize debt and maximize their opportunities at Carthage.