For Larry and Barbara Margolis, the drive to uplift first-generation students — about 24% of all students in the College of Public Health — is personal. Both were the first in their families to graduate from college, and they remember both the pride and uncertainty that came with that.
“First generation students do not typically have the financial resources that others might have, and at the College of Public Health, these students are looking to give back and often improve the health of the communities they come from,” said Larry Margolis ’73 MHA. “That is the kind of student Barbara and I want to support.”
The new Larry and Barbara Margolis First-Generation Student Scholarship Fund will provide $25,000 annually in scholarships from this day forward. CPH undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to apply in March and the first scholarships will be awarded for fall semester 2026.
“Larry and Barbara’s generosity will be felt in the college and in the field of public health well into the future,” said Dean Paula Song. “Our first-generation students are some of the most determined to improve health and well-being in the communities they serve after graduation, and eliminating barriers for them is essential.”
As a first-generation student, Stephanie Ogonuwe ’23 BSPH worked multiple jobs to help cover education expenses, making it challenging for her to engage in extracurricular activities or dive deeper into classroom learning. Her passion for public health blossomed after receiving the Ruth Ella Moore Scholarship, she said.
“I had a little more time to focus on my classes instead of worrying about how I was going to pay for them,” she said. “I was able to get more involved on campus and…really get the experience I wanted out of it because I didn’t have to think about that financial component as much.”
Legacy of philanthropy
The Margolis family has made several significant gifts over the last several years aimed at alleviating financial stressors for public health students. They endowed a scholarship for Master of Health Administration students and the CPH Emergency Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support on a case-by-case basis to students facing emergencies that impede their education.
Larry Margolis said his parents always dreamed he would attend Ohio State. His mother enrolled for one quarter before leaving school during the Great Depression. His dad, who immigrated to the United States at 16, did not complete his high school education. Larry received his bachelor’s degree at Ohio University and came to Ohio State as part of the third MHA program class.
Similarly, Barbara Margolis’ father had a short but impactful experience studying at Ohio State. Barbara, who majored in education and went on to be a teacher, attended the university alongside her two sisters. Larry and Barbara met at Ohio State and have been married for more than 50 years.
“Where we came from sparked where we went and where we wanted to go,” Larry Margolis said.
If you are interested in supporting first-generation CPH students, please consider a gift today. All contributions to this new fund received by Dec. 31 will be doubled up to $20,000.
