Trevor and Doug recommend $1,500 award for sole Middletown scholarship applicant

Two participants in a recorded Middletown scholarship meeting recommended awarding $1,500 to the single applicant, identified in the discussion as Asia, and agreed to present that recommendation to the commission for final approval.

Trevor, who identified himself as an advisor to the school’s GSA, said he read the application and found the essay did not "hit at all on being an advocate for LGBTQ rights," noting the materials were weaker than previous applicants. Doug, who led the discussion of outreach and procedure, said the panel received only one application and observed that the scholarship fund allows awards "up to $10,000" but does not require distributing the full amount.

The candidates and fund: why it matters Both participants emphasized the program’s intent and the importance of maintaining continuity with a visible award. Trevor said his "gut instinct" was that the committee should give something to preserve the scholarship’s profile, proposing a figure in the $1,000–$2,000 range. Doug called $1,500 a reasonable compromise: "I think 1,500 sounds good to me." They agreed the meeting’s role was to make a recommendation to the commission, which will make the final decision.

Outreach shortfalls and next steps Doug described outreach efforts to local partners — mentioning Mercy, Xavier, Upward Bound and Wesleyan — and said he had not seen the response levels he expected. Both participants recalled three applicants the previous year and proposed more proactive, face-to-face outreach with high-school guidance counselors next February to increase awareness and applications.

Administrative questions remain Trevor asked whether unused scholarship funds could roll into future years. Doug said the way the rules are written the award is "up to $10,000" and said he would investigate whether the rules or account structure could be rewritten to allow rollovers and would raise the question at the commission meeting.

What was recommended The participants agreed to recommend awarding $1,500 to the sole applicant, Asia, and to recognize her publicly if the commission approves (they discussed presenting a check at a parade or similar event). No formal motion or vote was recorded in the transcript; the recommendation will be presented to the commission for final action.

Details and context The transcript records that the committee had up to $10,000 available for awards and that last year’s applicant pool numbered three. The participants discussed improving outreach to guidance counselors and local college contacts to increase future turnout. The question of whether unspent funds can be rolled over to a subsequent year remained unresolved in the recorded meeting.