Middle Creek Legacy Scholarship

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Education is the key to advancement in any field of endeavor. However, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) , the overall college enrollment rate for 18 – 24-year-olds was only 39% in 2022. Having a college education is a key distinguishing factor that leads to measurable success economically, personally, and socially.

  • Economically – On average, college graduates earn significantly more than those with only a high school diploma. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that bachelor’s degree holders have median weekly earnings higher than those with less education. In addition, college graduates generally experience lower unemployment rates compared to those without degrees.
  • Personally – For students, college provides the opportunity to acquire specialized knowledge and transferable skills like critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. Attending college helps students build connections with peers, professors, and industry professionals.
  • Socially – College graduates are more likely to vote, volunteer, and engage in community activities. Higher education often fosters a broader understanding of societal issues and global challenges, equipping those with this specialized knowledge and awareness the ability to successfully navigate their careers, social impact, and community enhancement.

The members of the Middle Creek Homecoming Legacy Committee are committed to continuing the rich tradition and power of education for our family lineage through this scholarship opportunity.

Scholarship rules and eligibility

Purpose

The purpose of the Homecoming Scholarship program is to provide eligible high school seniors and college students with tuition assistance for approved and accredited institutions.

Scholarship Amount

The scholarship award is to be used solely for tuition assistance or other college expenses at approved and accredited institutions.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Scholarship, students must meet the following criteria:

  1. The student must be related to the family by blood and/or legal adoption.
  2. The student must have attended the most recent Middle Creek Homecoming event. Note: To receive the scholarship, the student must be at the upcoming Homecoming to receive the award.
  3. Must be a senior in high school about to graduate or currently enrolled at an accredited 2- or 4-year institution.
  4. For high school seniors, the student must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and have been accepted to an approved and accredited institution
  5. If a high school senior, the student must provide a copy of their most recent grades AND a letter of recommendation from the school to show proof of academic standing along with their application.
  6. If a high school senior, submit letter of acceptance from accredited college or university.
  7. For undergraduate students currently enrolled full-time in an accredited college or university, the student must have a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Graduate students are not eligible.
  8. If currently in college, the student must provide a copy of their most recent grades with a school seal AND a letter of recommendation to show proof of academic standing along with their application.
  9. High school and college applicants must complete an essay.
  10. The awardee(s) must agree to participate as a Middle Creek Homecoming Committee member for at least one (1) year. In addition, sub committees that can be chosen from are as follows:
    1. Event Management – Chair-Derayna Goings-Webb,
    2. Homecoming Program – Chair: Dennis Penager
    3. Fundraising – Chair: Brett Penager
    4. Social Activities – Chair: Larry Tinker
    5. Scholarship – Chair: Monique Montague
    6. History – Chair: Talitha Nappere
    7. Building & Maintenance – Chair: Dennis Penager
    8. Marketing & Promotion – Chair: Brett Penager

What is an approved institution?

Approved higher education institutions include four-year college or universities, community colleges, and vocational/technical schools offering degree programs.

Submission Details

Please submit the following:

  1. If a high school senior, submit an academic transcript. Transcripts do not need to be officially stamped.
  2. If a college student, submit an academic transcript relating to your field of study. It does not need to be officially stamped.
  3. A recent photograph
  4. Write an 2-3 page essay answering the three questions listed below:
    1. What the Annual Middle Creek Homecoming means to you
    2. The importance of continuing Homecoming and preserving our legacy
    3. What your personal and professional goals are for the future

Submission Deadline

Eligible students must submit the Homecoming scholarship packet to the Scholarship Committee for approval by January 10 of each year. For example, high school seniors graduating and heading to college in 2025 can submit for upcoming scholarship award. College students continuing their education in their field of study in 2025 can also apply.

Judging/Evaluation of Scholarship Participants

Applicants who meet ALL requirements can be awarded a scholarship in an amount determined by the committee. This is not a competitive scholarship. The goal is to support and encourage students who have completed High School and who plan to further their education AND those who are currently enrolled in an accredited college/university.

Disbursement of Awarded Funds

Upon approval, scholarship recipients must submit verification of enrollment in a college/university before disbursement of scholarship funds in July. Recipients will receive scholarship funds once appropriate documentation is provided. Any questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Scholarship Committee. The Homecoming Committee reserves the right to amend its policies at any time. The Scholarship Committee will make any interpretations or decisions regarding eligibility. Final awards will be granted at the sole discretion of the Scholarship Committee and the Executive Body.

Renewal

Eligible students may apply for renewal of the Homecoming Scholarship up to one (1) time after the initial award. To be granted renewal, they must attend college for consecutive semesters (or quarters), not including summer breaks, for a total of eight (8) consecutive semesters or sixteen (16) consecutive quarters and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Students who drop out of the institution and later return are not eligible for scholarship renewal.

Other

  1. There is no limit on the number of scholarship awards per family.
  2. Awardees will be recognized once a year and presented at the annual Middle Creek Homecoming.
  3. If the student does not enter the approved institution after receiving the award, the award must be returned to the Middle Creek Scholarship Fund.
  4. Awardees must agree to serve on the Middle Creek Homecoming Committee upon receiving the monetary award.

Scholarship Committee

The Homecoming Committee chair will facilitate the review and award process.

One Person's Pursuit of Learning

George Augustus Phillips, Educator

 

George Augustus Phillips was born December 22, 1885, to the Rev. Lloyd and Georgeanna Phillips on a farm near Rose Elms, Ohio. As a young boy George was offered a job by a prominent physician from Paulding, Dr. Leroy Fast. Dr. Fast needed someone to groom his horses, so Phillips not only took the job, but lived with the Fast’ as a member of their family until he graduated from Paulding High School in 1907.

After graduation, George’s father offered him the choice of a horse and buggy or a college education as a graduation gift. Young George chose education. Although he later took up farming, he went back to teaching in 1917 when he moved to Cassopolis Michigan after completing one year of medical college in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Phillips had great potential to become a Physician himself but, he could not resist his first love and passion which was Education.

George Phillips received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1924 from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo Michigan and a Master of Arts degree in 1927 from the University of Cincinnati. He went on to teach in the Cincinnati Public School System from 1924-1935 at the Stowe-Jackson School and later became principal from 1935 until 1956 when he retired. His Doctor of Philosophy degree in education was recognized and accepted in 1939 and he received an honorary degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1968.

George Phillips married his sweetheart, Myrtle Reynolds of Van Wert County, October 31, 1909. They were married for sixty-four years and had no children. George Phillips was a proud man who devoted his life to organizing and administering a program of adult education in Cincinnati and re-organizing secondary programs for the Negro schools in Tennessee. Over the course of his more than fifty-year career, he taught in his own native Paulding County, Michigan, Tennessee, and Cincinnati. Phillips, who spent the early years of his life in Paulding County, willed his estate to the John Paulding Historical Society (JPHS). Phillips made his home in Cincinnati for many years, living there until the time of his death in 1979. Proceeds from the sale of his home provided funds to acquire the acreage on which the JPHS built its historical museum that contains the personal study and library of George A. Phillips.

Other correspondence, journals, diaries, personal letters, educational files, and scrapbooks belonging to George and Myrtle Phillips were catalogued and donated to the Bowling Green State University Center for Archival Collections. There it is preserved as part of the history of the northwest Ohio African American community.

More testimony of his life’s work can be found at a school in Toledo, Ohio that serves students grades 6-8 known as the George A. Phillips Academy. The school was named in his honor by The Leona Group, a provider of services to public charter schools. Its mission and philosophy mirrors that of George A. Phillips, i.e. all children, regardless of ethnicity, economic status, or educational disadvantage can learn and achieve. George Phillips was a notable scholar, educator, and humanitarian.

Start your scholarship application by filling all the required information in the form below.