06/01/2026
Congratulations to Samuel Gentry, the winner of our $5,000 Acorn Award Scholarship! Samuel’s response to the essay prompt “What community means to me” impressed our independent panel of judges for its creativity, detail and sincerity. Samuel graduated this year from Oak Hill High School with a list of extracurricular activities at school and service activities in the community. He will attend Ohio University where he will major in Mechanical Engineering. Samuel is pictured with our Jackson Branch Manager Laura Fain. Congrats and best wishes in your next steps! Member FDIC.
Would you like to read the essay that helped him earn the scholarship? Keep reading!
“Southern Ohio hums even when it sleeps. Gravel talks under the tires, night air breathes through torn window screens, four-wheelers echo from the neighbors’ trailers too late. Outsiders often call us “the forgotten people of America.” For better or worse, I’ve feuded with this description throughout my life. Despite the increasing isolation brought on by social media, Appalachia expects everyone to wave at every car that passes. That’s not because they know you; it’s because they know the feeling of being noticed. They call us hopeless. Some say poor. Many say dumb. With each label comes a modest attempt of pity and sorrow, yet I’ve never felt poor here. There’s a richness that doesn’t come from money. It lingers in the smell of wood smoke and diesel, in the banter from the truck stop diner, in how my neighbors show up for me before I could even think to ask. My community means resilience disguised as routine. The same people who grumble about their paycheck are the ones who fix the bleachers before every Friday night football game. The ones who live off of welfare are the first to hand you their plate at a church dinner. Social media led me to believe that success was in the noise of taking charge, but here it’s in the consistency of showing up. This place taught me to separate what lasts from what fades. I serve as lead student representative for Southern Ohio Soles, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing shoes to underprivileged students across Appalachian Ohio. Each new pair I replaced was about preserving the unspoken bond that keeps us connected. Seeing the smile of a child with brand-new shoes carried more meaning than any resume ever could. It is a reminder to me that my community is not measured by wealth or image; rather, it is how we care when no eyes are watching. Community here means patience. It’s found in the people who still gather for the county fair every summer, who bring their own lawn chairs to watch small-town parades. It’s in how they argue about everything yet still lend each other a wrench when a truck breaks down. My community taught me to stay when things get rough and to honor the places that shape you instead of running from them. When I leave for college, I’ll still hear the hum. I’ll still carry the lessons of a place that taught me to notice, to listen, and to serve. My community is more than just home; it’s a reminder that strength does not need recognition, and that even the smallest acts of care can make a “forgotten” place unforgettable.”
