Cincinnati State student from Western Hills wins Kroger scholarship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2014
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Robert White
Media Relations/Communications Coordinator
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Cincinnati State student from Western Hills wins Kroger scholarship
Gebrezgiabhier (Gere) Abraha, a student at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, has been
awarded a Garnes/Ward scholarship for minority students through Kroger.
In addition to providing $3,500 toward his educational expenses at Cincinnati State, the award gives
Abraha a paid 10-week internship at the Kroger pharmacy in Beechmont.
Abraha, a native of Eritrea, now resides in Western Hills. He plans to finish his Associate of Science
degree at Cincinnati State in 2015, then transfer to the Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati.
Abraha earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Science from Orotta University of Health
Science, Asmara, Eritrea in 2010, but secured a green card and emigrated to the U.S. before he was able
to secure certified course transcripts. Soon after settling in Cincinnati with the aid of relatives, he decided
to launch his U.S. educational career at Cincinnati State while working part-time and trying to improve his language skills.
“Cincinnati State has been very good to me,” he said. “Any time you have a question, people there will try
to help. It has been a very positive experience.”
Abraha maintains a 3.91 GPA at Cincinnati State. In addition to his classes and job, he serves as a
volunteer at the Drop Inn Center and as an elementary and middle school tutor for Eritrean families in Greater Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati/Dayton Division of Kroger established the Garnes/Ward Scholarship in 1990 in memory of
two minority store managers. The program has provided financial assistance and paid summer
internships valued at more than $994,000 to more than 140 students.
Scholarship applications are solicited from the University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, Xavier
University, Miami University, Wright State University, Central State University, Wilberforce College,
Northern Kentucky University, the College of Mt. St. Joseph and Wilmington College. Applications are
also accepted from students attending accredited colleges or universities in Southwestern Ohio, Northern
Kentucky or Eastern Indiana. Business- and pharmacy-related majors are preferred, but students
majoring in other fields are considered.
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Cincinnati State (www.cincinnatistate.edu) offers more than 130 associate degree and certificate
programs in business technologies, health and public safety, engineering technologies, humanities and
sciences and information technologies. Cincinnati State has one of the most comprehensive co-op
programs among two-year colleges in the U.S.