Alter-Fairmont Scholarships

Dor-Wood Optimist Club
"Continuing Education Scholarship Award"

Dor-Wood Optimist Club
“Continuing Education Scholarship Awards” - 2026

Eight $2500 Scholarships Available for Kettering Residents Graduating High School in 2026

Each award will be a one year $2500.00 stipend sent to the school of choice. This choice may be a university, college, two-year college or trade school. The stipend may be used for tuition fees, room and board if living on campus, or books and supplies. This is a one-time grant and cannot be renewed.

The Dor-Wood Optimist Club encourages a spirit of volunteerism & excellence in education in the youth of Kettering.

Category 1 – Alter High School Will be Awarded Three Scholarships (This year, these Alter Scholarships are given in honor of Joe Petrocelli - Longtime Dor-Wood volunteer and Alter staff member.)
+ Must be a Kettering Resident and Attend Alter High School

Category 2 - Fairmont High School Will be Awarded Three Scholarships
+ Must be a Kettering Resident and Attend Kettering Fairmont

Category 3 – Area High Schools Will be Awarded Two Scholarships
+ Must be a Kettering Resident and May Attend Any Area High School

REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL CATEGORIES:

+ Applicants must be Kettering Residents graduating high school in 2026

+ Applicants must maintain a GPA of 2.50 or higher, (includes Career Tech students) active in extracurricular activities, active in community service, and must be an all-around good citizen.

+ Applicants must submit the online (dorwood.org) application & upload references and G.P.A. signatures

between February 3, 2026 and March 21, 2026. (All parts completed in one website session)

+ Those Alter and KFHS applicants who are not one of the six winners in Categories 1 & 2 will automatically be eligible in Category 3 with no further application.

CONTACT INFORMATION

DorWood Scholarship Chairperson

Rich Bowden: (937) 974-6953 prassboy2315@gmail.com

Items needed to complete the single-session online application:

A single PDF file for upload of G.P.A. verification with both counselor AND applicant's signatures
Name of the school you plan to attend (to be typed into a website field)
Field in which you plan to major or study (to be typed into a website field)
A 300 to500 word essay about yourself and your volunteering (to be typed into a website field)
A list of school activities: sports, clubs, offices held, honors, activities (to be typed into a website field)
Description of any volunteer work you have done: school, community, church (to be typed into a website field)
Listing of any paid work experience (to be typed into a website field)
Option to upload one pdf file with a reference from a teacher, coach, club advisor, clergy, employer, or community service agency.

For the 2026 DorWood Scholarships, applications will be completed and submitted online. Access to the online application will begin February 3, 2026 and END March 21, 2026.

The top button to the right will take you to the online application when activated on February 3, 2026.

DorWood Scholarship Online Application will be ACTIVE Feb. 3, 2026 PDF sample of the DorWood Scholarship Online Application

L to R: Lauren Mobley, Sydney Bales, Emma McEwan, Daniel Breslin, Ashley Reents

L to R: John Thurman, Allison Kline, Keri Brose

Above left to right: DorWood Pres. Gary Brinkman, 2024 Sholarship Winners: Sydney Bales, FHS; Emma McEwan, FHS; Ashley Reents, FHS; Lauren Mobley, FHS; Kyri Brose, AHS; Allison Kline, AHS; Daniel Breslin, FHS; Scholarship Chair, Rich Bowden. Not pictured; Scholarship Winner John Thieman, AHS.