Impact

Bethany's Story

Bethany Baggett '24 received the Beanie Drake Scholarship her sophomore year at Ohio State. Her junior year, she became a member of the Beanie Drake Executive Board, and was elected President of the Board her senior year. Below, she shares the impact the scholarship had on her Ohio State experience.

"My journey at OSU started with philanthropy - I came to Ohio State because I was awarded the Morrill Scholarship. I was also very interested in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and before my freshman year ended, I knew I wanted to eventually participate in the Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP), a very competitive program that gives students the opportunity to intern in D.C. 

I come from a single-income household; my mom was a single mom my whole life, supporting my sister and me by working as a cook and hairdresser. A professional career was not something I had seen anyone in my family pursue; most worked hourly jobs. I was always very academically motivated, and I always knew I would go to college and earn my degree, but I also knew I'd have to balance school with work. My freshman year, I was working a lot. I worked at Scott Traditions to cover the cost of my meal plan and other basic necessities. My freshman year started the fall of 2020, when COVID-19 was at its peak. I made the decision to stay home in Charleston during the spring of 2021, and worked 25 hours a week in retail, on top of taking 17 credit hours over Zoom.

I returned to campus in the fall of 2021, looking for ways to spend less time at work. I saw some information online about the Beanie Drake Scholarship and I decided to apply. After an interview, I received the scholarship my sophomore year. For the first time since I was 14, I did not have to work - I didn't have to balance my priorities. I finally had time to get involved on campus. I joined the social sorority Alpha Chi Omega and participated in the USG Committee on Academic Misconduct, serving as the sole student voice in university-led student academic misconduct trials. Later, I took on the role of Deputy Director of Government Relations in USG. The Beanie Drake Scholarship enabled me to dive deeply into the community aspects of Ohio State.

In addition to extracurriculars, I had time to explore other opportunities on campus. I attended many workshops and seminars, including an International Trade Seminar hosted by the Undergraduate Women in Economics Club. There, I met a representative from the Federal Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. I learned there were positions available, so I applied, interviewed, and was accepted for my first internship. This changed everything for me: the internship gave me valuable experience and the confidence and motivation to pursue more opportunities. In the fall of my junior year, I studied abroad in Spain while interning with corporate venture capital lawyers.

I was able to leverage these experiences in my WAIP application, and was selected to participate in the spring of 2023. WAIP was an incredible experience, and I decided to extend my stay in Washington after receiving an internship at a top-5 lobby firm that summer, where I worked on the health consulting team. All of these opportunities helped me stand out in my post-grad job applications, as I had gained skills and experience top companies were looking for. Now, I'm working at Deloitte on their government sector consulting team in Columbus, marking the first time a member of my immediate family has begun a professional career with a competitive salary.

The Beanie Drake scholarship freed up the time and energy I needed to focus on my future. I plan to become a monthly donor to the Beanie Drake Student Leader Endowment Fund, and I hope to continue giving my time as a former board member to mentor future student leaders. I am excited to give back to the program that helped me achieve the potential I knew I had but didn't have the resources to access."