News and Knowledge

OAR takes great pleasure in announcing the recipients of the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship and Schwallie Family Scholarship for 2018. The two scholarships attracted over 500 applicants and the 49 awards total $147,000. Through this program, OAR has now provided scholarships to 318 students with autism – a total financial contribution of $954,000 since the program started in 2007.

Thanks to the generosity of the Schwallie family, OAR awarded 10 additional Schwallie Family in memory of Ed Schwallie, Board member Emeritus and founder of the scholarship program. Gabriella Hoffman, a 12-year-old girl with autism who raised $3,220 by creating and selling essential oils, funded an 11th new scholarship. Those new scholarships bring the number of Schwallie Family Scholarships this year to 31.

Both the Schwallie and Hussman scholarships provide one-time $3,000 awards to students with autism pursuing post-secondary education at a variety of different institutions. The Schwallie Family Scholarships are awarded to students attending four-year and two-year colleges. The 18 Hussman Scholarships are awarded to students attending four-year or two-year colleges, vocational/technical schools, or co-operative life skills programs.

To be eligible for one of the scholarships, an applicant must have a confirmed autism diagnosis (DSM-IV or later), be accepted for enrollment in the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters, and submit three short personal essays along with an application form and recommendation letter. The selection committees are made up of members of OAR’s board of directors, representatives of the Schwallie and Hussman families, and selected parent volunteers.

2018 Recipients

Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship Winners

• Morgan Barton, George Mason University
• Justus Budde, Waukesha County Technical College
• Lelon “Russell” Bulluck, Beyond Academics at University of North Carolina, Greensboro
• Darryl Carter, Wharton Junior College
• Matt Delacy, Elmhurst College
• Benjamin Dynes, Otis College of Art and Design
• Dawson Franklin, Ridgewater College
• Harley Glick, Palm Beach State College
• Isaac Kimbrough, Jr., Wallace Community College
• Sean Knobbe, Elmhurst College
• Ernest “Trey” Long, Montgomery College
• Jared A. McGhee, On Campus Transitions Program at University of North Florida
• Sonny O’Callaghan, Harrisburg Area Community College
• Hunter Primmer, TOPS at Ohio State University
• Sterling Ramsey, University of South Florida Learning Academy
• Dylan Somberg, Farber Soul Center
• Emily Tharp, Slippery Rock University
• Celeste Vandiver, Northwest Shoals Community College

Schwallie Family Scholarship Winners

• Sean Patrick Bentley, Saint Anselm College
• Andrew Bergantz, Washington University
• Basia Czajkowski, St. Mary’s College
• Adrian DeSimone, University of Connecticut
• Mia Dubin, Towson University
• Caroline Brooke Flunker, Agnes Scott College
• Harrison Hall, Trinity University
• Ethan Harris, Defiance College
• Lily Haynes, Stevens Institute of Technology
• Teal Kim, Mount Holyoke College
• Elias Kott, St. Bonaventure University
• Jonathan Kratchman, Rutgers University
• Jaxson Lamb, Fox Valley Technical College
• Hannah Langkamer-Smith, Temple University
• Kylie Mae Linn, California State University – Channel Islands
• Sutherland Nguyen, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Christopher Ospina, State University of New York at Farmingdale
• Michael Paone, County College of Morris
• Aversa Prentosito, Miami University
• Ciaran Roberts-Osterberg, Berklee College of Music
• Alexander Rosa, College of New Jersey
• William Brownrigg Spray, Hamline University
• Adam M. Stetson, Eastern Maine Community College
• Elijah Scott Stone, Sinclair Community College
• Michael S. Strano, SUNY New Paltz
• Maximilian Wentz-Fischer, Salem State University
• Terrance Werho, Georgia Institute of Technology
• Amanda Marie Wisk, West Chester University
• Alice Ying Wu, University of Pittsburgh
• Lauren Zeigler, Florida Institute of Technology
• Mattie Zimmer, Loyola University of New Orleans

OAR congratulates each of the 49 recipients and extends its gratitude once again to the Lisa Higgins Hussman Foundation and the Schwallie Family Foundation. These scholarships would not be possible without their continuous support.