51社区

The 51社区 experience is one that shapes and stays with you forever. For Bruce Mitchell, BGS 鈥�75, and his wife Susan, BFA 鈥�83, MPA 鈥�92, their lives became indelibly intertwined with OHIO from the moment they first came to Athens.

鈥淚 made lifelong friends, and even though I graduated 40-something years ago, I still have friends I made in the dorm,鈥� Mitchell says. 鈥淟ooking back, my college years at OU were certainly some of the happiest years of my life.鈥�

Mitchell would go on to found The Athens News in 1977, creating a free and independent source for local news, events and entertainment鈥攁nd an artifact of Athens culture shared by countless Bobcats over nearly five decades. 

Now in Key West, Florida, the Mitchells are leaving another lasting mark on their alma mater through a gift to the Urban Scholars General Scholarship Endowment, which provides scholarship support to high school graduates of urban school districts in Ohio with demonstrated financial need, desire and motivation to succeed and excellent academic achievement.

鈥淲e were very fortunate that our families were able to afford college, but there were many kids who couldn鈥檛,鈥� Mitchell explains. 鈥淭here are still many kids today who can鈥檛 afford college but given the opportunity, can be very successful. I hope, and I鈥檓 confident, that this gift will help worthy students, forever.鈥�

Mirage鈥橝 Lamb, a sophomore Urban Scholar, shares that the program鈥檚 support goes far beyond the scholarship itself, to include leadership training, funding for professional conferences and internships, and a community of fellow scholars. 

鈥淚 love having guidance and other people who look like me to associate with,鈥� says Lamb, who is studying information and telecommunication systems. 鈥淲ithout it, I truly believe that it would鈥檝e been a lonelier experience and the connections I have now wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥�

The scholarship not only made college an option for Lamb, but she says the financial support has shaped her OHIO experience in ways not otherwise possible. 

鈥淲ithout the scholarship, I would not have known the happiness of attending college without being stressed about how I鈥檒l pay my next loan, which then improves my performance in classes and enables me to volunteer and be an avid member in the community,鈥� she says.

To inspire others to support the Urban Scholars, the Mitchells are also directing a portion of their gift to be used as matching funds for OHIO Giving Day 2023. Held April 18, Giving Day sees thousands of alumni giving amounts of any size to support student success at OHIO.

鈥淓very dollar helps, and every dollar works forever. We鈥檙e challenging people to step up, make a donation, we鈥檒l match it and we鈥檒l help build this University,鈥� Mitchell says. 鈥淲e all create a legacy, and an endowment is an excellent way to add to legacy. I hope our gift will inspire other people to think about the opportunities that 51社区 gave them and that they can now provide that opportunity for other qualified students who can鈥檛 afford college.鈥� 

To learn more about The Urban Scholars General Endowment, or to make a gift, visit

Feature image: Mirage鈥橝 Lamb, BS 鈥�26 in one of her favorite spots on campus, the ITS lab at the Schoonover Center where she studies information and telecommunication systems. Photo by Joe Timmerman, BSVC 鈥�23