The Community Foundation for Crawford County is pleased to introduce Jessie Furner, a 2023 recipient of one of the 19 Margaret and Donald Wenner, MD Scholarship awards.
Jessie, the daughter of Tom Sullivan and Kathy Dyer, is a 1998 graduate of Bucyrus High School. She will be entering her fourth year of a Bachelor’s Degree in Customer Service Leadership at Ohio University this fall.
What is your favorite aspect of college life?
“Being a college student in your 40s, you get a new level of respect from professors that they do not seem to divvy out as equally to recent high school grads. I am certain that I have a deeper appreciation for the instruction than I would have right out of high school. Not to sound like a total dweeb, but my favorite part about college is learning new things! Since I am an online student, I don’t get to participate in all the on-campus activities, which is OK because I would probably feel very old if I did. I love picking out new classes and the mounting excitement that comes with getting closer to graduation.”
What new interest or courses of study have you discovered at college?
“Prior to attending OU, I had never taken an anthropology course. Now I love anthropology! Were there more opportunities professionally, I could see myself majoring in this field. Perhaps if I were younger, I could’ve even done a field placement. Anthropology is fascinating, and I feel that we can learn a lot from our ancient ancestors. I have also taken a pile of classes on consumer behavior, marketing, general business, and nonprofit management. My biggest ‘Easy A,’ class? Hands-down, The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll!”
In what ways has the college experience changed/improved you?
“Being at university, even online, has given me renewed hope for the cultural future of our country. College students today have such a high level of tolerance and curiosity for people or things they don’t understand. It is beautiful and inspirational to see so many inclusive groups and clubs on campus. These are our future leaders! Being a bobcat has also changed me by making me really proud of myself. I’m not one that takes to tooting my own horn, but I knew that I had to finish for real when I started back up with classes this most recent time. After I started to gain momentum and really get a chunk of credit hours under my belt, I became motivated, driven, and hungry. I have gained inspiration, confidence, and perseverance.
At the risk of sounding corny, I'll go ahead and say that I'm super proud of myself, and I'm doing things I didn't even know I was capable of. Obviously, I went back to college so that I could get a better job and make more money, but I've been privileged to have some professors that have ignited a curiosity in me that goes beyond monetary value. I am addicted to learning. I love having a good professor and being with other people interested in a topic. I love being teacher's pet, something I NEVER experienced in grade school!
While living and working in Bucyrus, I have been able to connect with students all over the world and still be part of an inclusive group getting all geeked out on anthropology! I have always attended part-time, but this has allowed me to work more and savor my enjoyable classes.
The college experience has turned my life upside down and set me on fire. The best part is, I see no end to it. Sure, I will quit going to college at some point, but the curiosity fire in my belly, I believe, will never go out.”
What advice would you give an incoming college freshman?
“Advice for incoming freshman: Be open to trying new things. Realize that these are some of the best days of your lives. Try to meet as many different people as you can and actively listen to them. Hear their stories. Join the clubs or start a new one. Lean into your fear, it’s not as bad as you think. Work hard, but be present and in the moment. Go abroad! Being in college is one of the only times you can go live in another country and immerse yourself in a different culture without making a vacation of it. Enjoy!”
What is one item on your bucket list?
“One item on my bucket list is to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. It goes from the top of Maine to the tip of Georgia and takes about six months to complete. I would like to do it at a more leisurely pace, giving away and picking up new books as I finish them along the way, taking lots of pictures, and making new friends. It’s one of the opportunities in life where you will start as one person at the beginning, but expand and be changed by the end, almost like an accelerated step on the path to Enlightenment. (I’m not a Buddhist, but that’s a decent metaphor.)”
Jessie is also the winner of the summer semester Pry Scholarship award, which is as scholarship for non-traditional students!
What inspired you to choose your intended major?
“My associate’s degree is in human resource management. I think humans and our complex personalities, stories, and lives are fascinating. Sometimes I don’t like to see very many of them, but I have always loved people. I saw a gentleman named Steve Brown give a talk, and he had a burning passion for improving the lives of all the employees in the company that he works for (La Rosa’s Pizza). It was really inspiring and make the choice clear for me. If this is the kind of HR professional I can be, then sign me up! I picked Ohio University specifically because they offered a customer service leadership path. I felt that this major was a perfect combination of my natural abilities and professional experience. As Mark Cuban says, ‘Do what you’re good at, not what you’re passionate about.’ I guess I am lucky because I am passionate about and good at customer service.”
What advice would you give a non-traditional student who is contemplating taking college courses?
“My advice would be to do a little bit every day. I have worked full-time pretty much the whole time I’ve been back in college, usually with another part-time job or two on the side. Of course, it’s overwhelming at times. One of my friends once said, ‘There’s only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.’ That’s the same approach I take for college. When I worked at Advanced Fiber Technology, I had a whole hour for lunch. I could usually knock out 1 to 2 discussion post assignments during that time, after cooking lunch for my husband and son, who was an online student at the time! Make a simple routine, stick to it, and when you slip up, forgive yourself quickly and get back on track. Get up a little earlier or stay up a little later and just dedicate at least 20 minutes or a half hour every day to your studies. Use the help available to you! There are tutors to help you pass statistics! Keep going even when you don’t want to, and before you know it, you will be seeing the fruits of your labor. Also, look into scholarships for alternative students. I didn’t really start looking until recently, and I am just now realizing the wealth of resources that are available to me.”
If you could go back in time, but couldn’t change anything, to what time would you go?
“If I could go back in time as an observer, I would love to be right here in Crawford County but in the 1700s or very early 1800s. I would love to see what the indigenous people were really like. Especially the ones that pre-dated Wyandot and Delaware. From what I read in the Bicentennial trilogy, they were the type that wore wolf and bear headdresses! Imagine if you could ride a roller coaster back through time in Crawford County. How the topography would change; it would be completely unrecognizable. That is a fun but difficult question. I would also like to go back to the 60s and 70s in California and hang out with a bunch of my musical heroes. It's a real toss-up. So when do we start working on the time machine?”
What’s something that you love that everyone you know hates?
“Something that I love that I know everyone hates? Oh, what a strange question. Again I'm going to sound corny. I strive to love the unlovable. I am a people person remember, and I believe every single human has a special story and something they can teach the rest of us. Even the weirdos, dreamers, miscreants, and misanthropes. I am still a work in progress, but I strive to see the value in all people, even the ones everyone else hates. Maybe this is why I watch so many murder documentaries. Hmmm.”
Congratulations and good luck in the future, Jessie!
To learn more about the scholarships offered through the Foundation, visit www.cfcrawford.org/scholarships.
