The Thompson Family Scholar Experience
Thompson Scholarship Programs supports our Thompson Family Scholars by providing them with life-changing opportunities and support even beyond the financial element. Our dedicated advisors invest in our students’ successes and seek to provide growth opportunities. We are also proud of our commitment to service to continue Mr. and Mrs. Thompson’s legacy of helping others.
Scholarship Advisor
Thompson Family Scholars are assigned a TFS advisor whose role is to connect, support and encourage them to plan out and achieve their goals at BGSU and beyond. Through one-on-one meetings and regular outreach, advisors provide support in a variety of areas including making connections, questions about majors and academics, getting involved on campus, mental health, roommate conflict and more.
BGSU 1910
Life Design is a campus-wide initiative created for incoming first-year students to help them make the most out of their BGSU experience. The course equips them with a framework and tools to design academic, career and life experiences that align with who they are, what they value, and what they want to do in life. Many of our new incoming Thompson Family Scholars are enrolled in a Thompson specific BGSU 1910 course taught by a TFS Advisor. We hope the course continues to build supportive relationships for scholars and staff!
Service Opportunities
Community service is an integral part of the Thompson Family Scholar Experience. The Thompsons place a high value on having a heart of service and have been role models of ways to serve. Scholars are required to complete service each semester but often go above and beyond to serve their community. Our goal is to help students identify and pursue meaningful service opportunities that align with their values, interests and career goals. Our hope is for Thompson Family Scholars to cultivate a spirit of giving back in honor of all they have received and to continue the legacy of Robert and Ellen Thompson.
TFS Service Highlights
- In March 2021, a group of 11 scholars and three staff members traveled to Detroit for our first-ever TFS service trip. While there, we worked with Cass Community Social Services. This Detroit-based agency has a person-centered philosophy and is dedicated to providing food, housing, health services and job programs for those in need.
- Food and Hygiene Products Drive
In both the fall of 2021 and the spring of 2022, Thompson Family Scholars collected and donated food and hygiene items for the BGSU Food Pantry, Dean of Students Grab N Go Bags, and Brown Bag Food Project- Fall 2021 – 3,019 food and hygiene items
- Spring 2022 – 4,175 food and hygiene items
Summer Link First-Year Scholarship Orientation
The Thompson Summer Link Program is designed to make the transition into University life as smooth as possible for you as an incoming first-year recipient of the Thompson Working Families Scholarship. You will connect with other new scholars, engage with the campus community and serve together over several days before the semester begins.
- Move in EARLY (if living on-campus) and have time to get settled into your new room/surroundings
- Make connections with other new Thompson Family Scholars, current scholars and staff
- Learn about scholarship requirements, expectations and support
- Get acclimated to campus and key campus resources
- Set goals and develop a plan for a successful transition to BGSU
- Complete hours towards your community service requirement
For students in the Honors College, specific Learning Communities and Falcon Marching Band, you will attend our One-Day Orientation instead to prepare you for success within the scholarship program.
Leadership Development
We recently established a new structure for the TFS Student Leadership Team. Scholars serve on the leadership team as scholar representatives for three initiatives: service, professional development and social initiatives.
Learn more about the TFS Student Leadership Team below.
President
Arin Kreill, 2020 Cohort
The president serves as the primary contact and support person for the executive board and serves as the liaison between the Student Leadership Team and the Thompson Scholarship Programs staff.
Vice President
Danielle Wood, 2021 Cohort
The vice-president serves as the president’s right-hand person and stays up to date on all communication and operating procedures necessary to achieve the goals of the executive board.
Secretary/Treasurer
Trenton Moore, 2021 Cohort
The Secretary/Treasurer keeps leadership team members informed about the student organization’s financial activities and maintains the organization, assimilation and dissemination of all information within the organization.
Academic Excellence Committee Co-Chairs
Julianne Bailey, 2021 Cohort
Julianne Wallenhort, 2021 Cohort
Connections Committee Co-Chairs
Angela Agati, A2020 Cohort
Cherylle Dave, 2021 Cohort
Personal and Professional Development Committee Co-Chairs
Abigail Eggleton, 2020 Cohort
Morgan Lunsford, 2021 Cohort
Service Initiatives Committee Co-Chairs
Jonathan Mong, 2021 Cohort
Shelby Leigh, A2021 Cohort
Academic Excellence Committee
Malia Hamad, 2020 Cohort
Mi’Kaila Henderson, 2021 Cohort
Connections Committee
Joshua Hanssen, A2020 Cohort
Kelly Knodel, 2021 Cohort
Personal and Professional Development Committee
Elijah Chambers, 2020 Cohort
Melanie Walker, A2021 Cohort
Service Initiatives Committee
Kassidy Stanford, 2021 Cohort
Samantha Avila, A2022 Cohort
Zachary Wells, 2020 Cohort
Abby Gabe, 2020 Cohort
Carly Caywood, 2020 Cohort
Eddie Santiago, 2019 Cohort
The role of the TFS Media Team is to support the promotion of Thompson Scholarship Programs and the TFS Student Leadership Team. They are responsible for managing our social media platforms, creating graphics and posters for events and important dates and overseeing a variety of multimedia projects that increase student engagement and highlight our programs and initiatives.
Updated: 03/03/2023 04:43PM