Our Scholarship
The Ridge Ohio Scholarship
The Ridge Ohio’s mission is to provide the best quality and most individualized drug and alcohol addiction treatment in Ohio. The Ridge Professionals Program is specifically designed to meet the high standards of clinical excellence recognized by professional boards and monitoring agencies.
We couldn’t complete this mission without the amazing physicians and medical professionals that make up our multi-disciplinary team. We created The Ridge Ohio Scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students seeking a career in the substance abuse treatment field.
The Ridge Ohio strives to provide students with a passion to help struggling addicts and alcoholics recover support through their college journey.
Scholarship Award:
$2,500
Eligibility:
All majors for spring semester 2025
Submission Deadline:
March 31st, 2025
How to Apply
To apply for The Ridge Ohio Scholarship, please submit a 500-word essay answering one of the following questions:
1. How have your personal experiences shaped your understanding of addiction and its impact on individuals and society
2. How do you hope to make a difference in your professional life for those struggling with addiction?
3. What innovative ideas or approaches do you believe could improve addiction treatment and recovery processes?
Winner for Fall 2024
Meet Charles Clark III
During my career as a police officer, I had a front seat to more tragedies and traumas than a person should endure. I have had to tell families that their loved ones are not coming home, respond to fatal car accidents, investigate crimes against children, and respond to violent crimes in progress. I had to preserve, stay strong, and keep going.
I slowly let the insular culture of police work creep up on me. What started as socializing with other cops after work and having a few drinks turned into an addiction to alcohol. I was taught in the police academy how to do everything and protect others, but I never learned how to protect myself. Speaking of mental health in police work has always been taboo.
On September 16, 2018, I surrendered to my alcohol addiction. “Surrender” is a word that someone with true grit, perseverance, and resiliency doesn’t speak. I was sick of waking up and looking in the mirror and hated the person I saw. I’ve faced a lot of challenges in my life, but little did I know I was in for the worst fight of my life. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorder.
After attending outpatient rehabilitation for approximately twenty weeks, I remain sober almost six years later. It took perseverance, resiliency, and true grit, but it also brought hope. Today, I am a Captain at the Wall Township Police Department overseeing the Special Operations Division and have been promoted twice since becoming sober. I have also met my beautiful wife in sobriety. We were married in February of 2023 and are expecting our first baby this spring. Today, I share my experience, strength, and hope with other first responders and advocate for mental health in the public service community. In 2023, I was awarded Police Officer of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for my work in assisting first responders with mental health. This scholarship will not only help me pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer but also further my advocacy work in the legal realm.
I had always aspired to attend law school and become a lawyer, something I would have never been able to do while I was in active addiction. My dream came true when I was accepted to the JD Program at Widener University Delaware Law. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to in receiving this scholarship, as it will allow me to pursue my dreams and hopes of becoming a lawyer and advocate for first responders in the legal realm.
FAQs
Applicants must either be presently enrolled or in the midst of enrolling at a qualifying institution for the academic year 2025. Please note that participation is restricted to one submission per individual.
1. Uniqueness
2. Structure
3. Communication Clarity
4. Inventiveness
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