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The John Huntington Fund for Education believes in the mission and value of a Baldwin Wallace education, which is why the esteemed Cleveland organization once again committed more than $400,000 to student scholarships.
The grant award of $400,000 will support scholarships for BW students in the 2026-2027 academic year, with an additional $2,000 to be used by two students who will serve as Huntington Ambassadors on campus. In that role, they will facilitate networking, build community and promote the Huntington Fund's legacy.
For more than 40 years, hundreds of Baldwin Wallace STEM students have benefited from the benevolent vision of John Huntington, who, like BW's founder John Baldwin, believed that education should be accessible to everyone.
The grant aims to reduce financial barriers for Cuyahoga County students pursuing a scientific, vocational or technical education.
At BW, Huntington Scholars (which refers to recipients of the scholarship) represent the rich diversity of the student body. Many individuals are students of color, first-generation college students and first-generation Americans from eastern and western suburbs and the city of Cleveland. Last year, 106 students were scholarship recipients.
Among them was Mikayla Trill '26, a biology major from Parma, Ohio, who is currently a post-baccalaureate researcher at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia — the same place where the hard-working BW Honors Program participant was a student researcher last summer in a highly competitive summer program.
"Grants, such as the John Huntington Fund, helped me stay in college through financial hardships," said Trill. "My parents aren't in a place to help me pay for my education, so every award I received was of tremendous help.
"I have also made friends and built connections as part of the Huntington program," Trill went on to say. "I also believe it helped me gain acceptance into my current research role, as I included all BW opportunities in my CV (curriculum vitae)," she added.
"My current research position in the cancer biology and the biochemistry, biophysics, and chemical biology departments will help build a strong profile, so that I will be ready for obtaining my Ph.D. because my biggest dream in life is to find a treatment for cancer," emphasized Trill.
Also benefiting from the generosity of a Huntington grant last year was Jalen Kelso '26, a chemistry major from East Cleveland, Ohio, who will begin the Pharm.D. program at The Ohio State University this fall and pursue his goal of becoming a pharmacist.
"The Huntington grant made a significant difference in helping me pursue my goal of becoming a pharmacist," noted Kelso. "As a college student from a single-parent household, I did not have financial support for my education. To afford school, I worked two jobs while balancing the responsibilities of being a full-time student and a collegiate athlete.
"Managing all of these commitments was extremely challenging, and there were times when I seriously considered dropping out because of financial difficulties," he admitted.
"Receiving the grant allowed me to reduce my work hours and devote more time to my academics, which strengthened my application for graduate pharmacy programs," explained Kelso.
"My time at BW has given me opportunities I never imagined. I've met incredible people — one of the most influential has been my advisor, Dr. Lisa Ponton. She taught me many things, but, most importantly, she helped me believe in myself so I could move forward with my goals," he said earnestly.
The John Huntington Fund for Education Scholarship provides crucial financial aid through a renewable award to students pursuing STEM and health sciences majors.
BW actively collaborates with the John Huntington Fund for Education to help students in the program build meaningful connections. In February, BW Huntington Scholars, university faculty and foundation representatives attended a reception to celebrate John Huntington's legacy and create community among the cohort of BW Huntington Scholars.
