BGSU nursing student grateful Thompson Scholarship eased her parents' burden

Lindsay Roth never wanted to burden her parents with the cost of college.

After watching how hard they worked throughout her childhood, the Bowling Green State University senior was determined to find a way to relieve them of the worry of supporting her through college.

More than two years later, Roth still gets emotional when she talks about receiving the Thompson Working Families Achiever Scholarship, which covers nearly all of her tuition and provides a strong support system.

“To have someone be so generous and make such a significant investment in students like me means so much," Roth said. "It's not just about financial need. More than that, I feel so honored that they also value my work ethic and my commitment to service and my education. Knowing they saw those qualities in me and chose to support my future makes me incredibly grateful, and it's something I take very seriously."

Roth was awarded the Thompson Achiever Scholarship in 2024, the same year Robert ’55, ’06 (Hon.) and Ellen ’54, ’06 (Hon.) Thompson announced their intent to contribute $121 million to expand the Thompson Working Families Scholarship Program, creating one of the nation's largest non-endowed scholarship programs.

Roth said it’s difficult to put into words the relief of knowing 75% of her tuition is covered through the program. The scholarship has allowed her to take full advantage of her college experience and focus fully on earning her nursing degree.

Just as important, she said, is knowing her parents no longer have to worry about paying for her education.

“My parents were so willing to help us. They would break their back for any of us,” Roth said. “But I didn’t want to put anything like that on my parents. I remember the day I got the scholarship. I was so honored to have been chosen. I remember calling my mom, and we both started crying. It makes me feel so grateful.”

Roth decided to attend Bowling Green late in her senior year of high school, missing an opportunity to apply to the Thompson scholarship as an incoming student.

As a result, Roth said she spent much of her first semester of college applying for scholarships, including the Thompson Achiever scholarship, which is awarded to undergraduates from working families who demonstrate high academic success during their first year at BGSU and financial need.

She also focused on excelling academically, earning a perfect 4.0 GPA, joined a sorority and started building her community at Bowling Green. 

Roth has embraced the program's service component, viewing it as one small way to express her gratitude to the Thompsons for their generosity. Recently, she volunteered at a BGSU Nursing Camp for high school students.

“I had so much fun,” Roth said. “They were so curious and asked so many great questions. I really enjoyed being a mentor to them but also teaching them things that I’ve learned. I would do it again in a heartbeat.” 

Roth, who will begin her final year at Bowling Green this fall, is a student nurse extern this summer in the emergency department at Mercy Health in Perrysburg. She credits Bowling Green's nursing program with preparing her for the experience, and said she never takes for granted the opportunity the Thompsons have given her.

“When I started nursing school, I was timid and nervous to walk into a room with a simulation mannequin,” she said. “Now, I can walk into a room with a patient and not be scared to say, ‘Hi, I’m Lindsay, and I’ll be your student nurse today.’ I couldn’t speak more highly of the BGSU nursing program. It is phenomenal. It’s a growing program, but it’s also small enough that I know every single one of my professors and can talk to them and feel like I’m not just another student on a list." 

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