John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund

The Blue Jackets players in partnership with the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation established the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund in 2008 to honor the life and legacy of the team’s late founder John H. McConnell. The fund was created to give fans of all ages the opportunity to honor Mr. Mac and his deep-rooted belief in the importance of giving back to the community. Each year, one local high school senior, who personifies his character and leadership, will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship

Mr. Mac was an honorable man who believed in the golden rule, ‘Treat others as you want to be treated.’ An enormously successful businessman, his accomplishments in that arena were surpassed only by his endeavors that improved the lives of others.

Mr. John H. McConnell was born in Pughtown, W.Va. The son of a steel worker, he grew up during the Great Depression, served aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II and afterwards used the GI bill to enter Michigan State University.

While working for Weirton Steel Corp., Mr. McConnell identified a niche in the industry for custom steel processing services. He used his 1952 Oldsmobile as collateral for a loan and, in 1955, launched Worthington Steel. It would become a global company with $3 billion in steel earnings and 8,000 employees in nearly 70 facilities.

In business, Mr. McConnell’s leadership style was based on the Golden Rule: “We treat our customers, employees, investors and suppliers as we would like to be treated,” It still drives the company’s culture today.

Through his humanitarian and community efforts, Mr. McConnell became widely recognized as one of Columbus’ most generous citizens. In 1997, Mr. McConnell led a group of investors to bring the National Hockey League to Columbus. The arrival of the team brought an influx of development to the arena district and community pride to Columbus.

Through his work ethic, business acumen, philanthropy, sense of community and genuine desire to do the right thing for his customers, employees and community, Mr. McConnell became a leader, not only in Columbus, but also throughout the steel industry and the business world. He also had a true passion for supporting the development of youth in our community.

View a video tribute to John H. McConnell

To Contribute to the John H. McConnell Scholarship fund:

Those contributing will be acknowledged as donors of the fund. The money raised will be used to award an annual scholarship(s) to Central Ohio high school students who personify the very character and leadership of the late John H. McConnell.

Those interested in making a contribution to the John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund can mail contributions to:
Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation
John H. McConnell Scholarship Fund
L-3170
Columbus, OH 43260-3170
Checks made payable to: John H. McConnell Fund

or view the donation form

The Columbus Jackets Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization, Tax I.D. 31-1688700.

View list of founding donors.

To Apply for the John H. McConnell Scholarship

Unlike traditional scholarships that are based on academic performance, this fund is intended to reward local high school seniors who demonstrate hard work, perseverance, leadership and community involvement. Mr. McConnell’s legacy reflects a life guided by the above characteristics.

High school seniors who personify the very character and leadership of the late John H. McConnell are able complete and submit an application for consideration by March 1 of each season. The scholarship winners will be selected annually by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and announced in the spring at the end of each Blue Jackets season.

One $10,000 scholarship will be awarded annually.

Click Here to view the 2011-12 JHM Scholarship Application.

 

2010-2011 John H. McConnell Scholarship Winner

 

Zachary Zins

The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation is proud to announce that Zachary Zins from St. Charles Preparatory School in Columbus, OH is the recipient of this year’s $10,000 John H. McConnell Scholarship.

It is very humbling to be chosen out of a pool of such qualified individuals and has certainly raised my personal expectations and goals as a representative of a distinguished organization. I look forward to the challenge of representing Mr. Mac’s mission in my life and will forever remember the generosity and faith which the Foundation has shown in me. It is my goal to become a radiation oncologist. Because of your support in my educational endeavor, I am one step closer to that goal. Thank you so much for helping me to achieve my goal and setting for me an example of philanthropy which I shall return upon completion of my formal education.
Zachary Zins

View the 2010-2011 JHM Scholarship Press Release

 

 Where We Are Now:

Rachel Beam - 2009 - 2010 Winner

Rachel's update:

 

I am having an amazing first year here in Columbus! The Ohio State University and the Mount Leadership Scholars Program have been everything I had expected and more.

 

The classes are challenging but I am doing well.  I love being surrounded by other students who strive to succeed in their studies and desire to learn more. I have recently been accepted into the BSN Nursing Program and plan to start clinicals in the fall.

 

Through the Mount Leadership Society I have had the opportunity to give back to the city of Columbus. I've participated in a variety of activities from collecting supplies for Mid-Ohio food bank, to becoming a mentor for a day, and raising money for the Red Cross.

 

I also had the opportunity to travel to Belize over spring break with Buck-I-Serve and One World Running where we distributed athletic shoes to those in need. While in Belize we were able to interact with the students at a special needs school and visit other villages. I was able to experience the many sides of Belize, from going to an island, to the city, and then to the rainforest. The trip was a great experience for me as I continue to learn about the many cultures in our world and share my passion for serving with others.

 

Thanks again for your generous scholarship that is allowing me to gain the knowledge and skills to make a difference in our world.

Rachel Beam

Harika Rayala - 2008-2009 Winner

Harika's update:

My first year at Northwestern has been awesome so far. I’ve decided to major in biomedical engineering and economics with a minor in global health so it’s a lot of work, especially the engineering classes, but I’m getting used to it now. My grades have been good so far but the courses get harder each quarter so we’ll see. I’m on the national office staff of this organization called GlobeMed, which promotes global health equity at 19 chapters across the U.S by improving the healthcare access in rural communities across the world. We just held our annual Global Health Summit, which brought students from across the U.S. to attend workshops by experts in the field of global health. It was especially exciting since our keynote speaker was Dr. Paul Farmer, the founder of Partners in Health!! This summer, I'll be going to Mali on behalf of GlobeMed to work on the Mali Health Organizing Project to study HIV/AIDS treatment in a rural community there. Other than that, Chicago is only a train ride away so we’ve been going there pretty often. Evanston, which surrounds the campus, has some really great ethnic restaurants for times when I get tired of dining hall food. In summary, Northwestern has been everything I expected and more. Thanks again for all the financial support you have given me. It was a huge help to both my parents and me in allowing me to go to Northwestern.
Harika Rayala