Our scholarship namesake, Bob Eckart, was a farmer and lifelong resident of Copley, Ohio, who supported the area’s agricultural community by serving as Secretary of the Summit County Farm Bureau Board of Trustees. In that role, which spanned “too many years to count,” he became known for the meticulously detailed handwritten minutes he would record during each meeting. In addition to his role as a farmer and an active member of the SCFB, Bob also drove a school bus for the Copley Public Schools for many years. His involvement with his charges went beyond safely delivering them to their intended destination each school day. He also hired many of these students to work on his farm after school hours and during summer vacations. There, he was a patient educator intent on teaching those who wanted to learn what he knew about farming, working the land, and animal husbandry. Not surprisingly, when Bob passed away, former students lined up outside the funeral home to pay their respects to the man who had been both their friend and teacher.
Not long after his passing, the SCFB Board of Trustees voted to create an academic scholarship program in honor of Bob’s memory. They established an award of $1,000 per academic year, with the option to renew for up to 4 years (provided minimum academic standards were maintained). Below is the individual selected as our Robert H. Eckart Memorial Academic Scholarship recipient, this year.
Aislynn McVicker
Aislynn is a National Honor Society 4.55 senior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. The daughter of Coleen and JW McVicker, she has been a very active member of Summit County Farm Bureau; volunteering at our annual Farmers’ Share Breakfast and our Antiques Museum each summer during the county fair. In fact, the last couple of years, she has assisted in the development of the museum scavenger hunt. Working at the family farm, Kuner’s Fruit Farm, and her involvement in the equine 4-H program for the past 10 years, has given Aislynn first-hand experience to be a great ambassador for agriculture and Farm Bureau. Her commitment to hard work and community service doesn’t stop with Farm Bureau, she is active in her community, church and school athletics and clubs which is shown through her many, many academic and non-academic honors and awards. Aislynn is planning to major in Physical Therapy (with a minor in Engineering) at the University of Dayton.
Congratulations Aislynn!