Ron Reigelsperger Scholarship Application
Who was Ron Reigelsperger?
Ron was employed by the Montgomery County Juvenile Court for over 35 years. After three years as a traditional Probation Officer (PO) he requested a transfer into a new program called Building Bridges (BB) because he believed he could make a greater impact on the lives of court involved youth within the advocacy structure of this program.
Throughout Ron’s 35 years working for and supervising the BB program, he never rested on his laurels. He constantly strove for more for every youth and their families. If a youth was not responding to his direction and plan, he changed the direction. If the youth was responding, Ron pushed harder to further engage him/her. Childhood was a resource that Ron would not allow to be squandered. Watching these young people learn to trust and grow because someone cared was the motivation to his success in working with at-risk youth all over Montgomery County.
Ron was a pioneer with the BB program. He added new programming features to better serve not only the youth of our County, but their families as well. Ron expanded the program to serve non-adjudicated youth and their at-risk families as a diversion effort to official Court involvement. Ron also worked for many years with service clubs to recruit volunteers, as well as financial support for the BB program. He was constantly willing to expand kids’ horizons and improve their self-esteem. This man dedicated his life to the philosophy of “whatever works” to make things happen for kids and families in Montgomery County.
Ron’s passion was young people and seeing the good in them, despite their shortcomings. He dedicated over 35 years to Montgomery County Juvenile Court, Building Bridges, and our community. He passed away in 2012 and is truly missed, however, his spirit and passion live on with the staff and youth involved with Building Bridges. He was a big proponent of experiential learning and believed that every kid had the potential to be successful. The Ron Reigelsperger Scholarship was created to commemorate the life of a man who helped make a significant difference in our community.
About the Ron Reigelsperger Scholarship:
The Scholarship is awarded to at-risk students who meet the criteria specified by the award. Satisfying the criteria does not guarantee the student will receive a scholarship, since the amount of funding may limit the number of awards that can be offered. Scholarships are rewarded in $2,500 increments and are renewable each semester. Applications are accepted ongoing throughout the year.
Eligibility requirements:
Applicants must meet all the following criteria as of the application deadline date.
- Be at least 17 years of age,
- Be a US citizen and a permanent resident of the US,
- Demonstrate financial need, and
- Be a current or former Building Bridges participant or an at-risk youth involved with Juvenile Court.
To keep and/or renew the Scholarship, an applicant must maintain:
- A 2.5 GPA, and
- Good standing at school, vocational program, college and/or educational program by demonstrating good moral character.
The Scholarship could be used towards paying tuition, and, depending on the applicant’s circumstances, related expenses at a traditional college, alternative school, vocational program, training school, or other educational purposes. The Scholarship may be used in state, out of state, or out of the country. Applications will be presented to, and reviewed by, the Building Bridges Board of Trustees. Once approved, applicants will be notified via phone.
For more information or questions please call: Brittini Long at (937)239-1663.
Application to be completed in English by the applicant in US Dollars. If you are a dependent student, complete parts I, II, III, & IV. If you are an independent student, completes parts II, III, & IV.
