The winners of the 2026 Les Best Scholarship were recently announced! Among the winners were four dependents, two OCSEA members, and two spouses.
One of this year's dependent winners is Sara Hintz, daughter of Chapter 2560 member & Department of Health employee Pamela Hintz. Sara is pursuing a degree in Hearing, Speech, and Language Sciences with a Professional Deaf Resource Liaison Certificate at Ohio University in Athens.
"Reflecting back, I realize how the union indirectly supported me and how this scholarship could continue to help our family. It is easy to overlook the connection between workplace protections and a child's well-being, but that connection is real for me," Sara wrote.
"Being the child of a state employee taught me about hard work and perseverance. Being a young adult reflecting on my mother's experience taught me lessons about the importance of support systems and advocacy," she said.
"My mother keeps the Public Employee Magazine on the coffee table, and I read it from time to time. That's how I learned about this scholarship opportunity. I am grateful for the chance to share how much it has meant to grow up as a daughter of an OCSEA member!" said Sara.
The Les Best Scholarship helps ease the burden of higher education costs for union families like Pamela & Sara's every year. The 2027 Les Best Scholarship application window will begin on January 1, 2027.
Looking for more union scholarship opportunities? Apply for the 2027 Union Plus Scholarship now, and look out for the 2027 AFSCME Family Scholarship application later this month!