Ian: A Jeremiah Scholar spreading healing and hope

As Ian was preparing for his senior year at Miami Valley Christian Academy, he had plans for his future like many other high schoolers. His goals were to be able to play college football and to one day become a teacher. 

In the midst of the football season, Ian befriended a co-worker who opened up about his struggles with depression and suicidal ideation. Ian talked with this friend for months, developed a relationship, and prayed for him numerous times. Ultimately, Ian’s friend tragically took his own life.  

 This had a profound effect on Ian, who carried the pain throughout the rest of his senior year, in which he was student body president and quarterback for the football team. 

 Over time, Ian says that God began to put people like his friend in his life. Ian told Fox 19 News, “God sent me more people that struggled with mental health problems. None of them committed suicide thankfully, but a lot of them struggled hard with those kinds of thoughts and mental health issues. And I remember God put it in my mind to study psychology.”  

 With more people came to Ian for support and advice, and with him struggling with his own feelings after his friend passed, he realized God may have a different path in mind for him than playing football. So, he decided the sport would no longer be one of his pursuits. Instead, he wanted to focus on getting into psychology and ministry. 

 Despite his drive and will to help others, Ian was unsure of how he and his family were going to afford his education in college. With his father unfortunately not in the picture and mother struggling with addiction, Ian was raised from a very young age mostly by his grandmother.  

With a younger brother also needing support, Ian didn’t want to put a financial strain on his grandmother, who he describes as, “helping (to) break our generational curse by being a leader and a mentor to me and my younger brother.” 

 On the day athletes at Miami Valley Christian Academy signed their letters of intent to play in college, Ian wasn’t signing one as expected. But he and his grandmother were met with an unexpected gift that changed everything for them.  

 Ian was presented with a $5,000 scholarship from a City Gospel Mission staff member – one of the organization’s 6 Jeremiah Scholarship program awards given for 2024.  

 With a packed auditorium of students cheering wildly after the surprise announcement, it was a very emotional scene for everyone. Ian wiped tears as he walked to the stage after the surprise announcement. His grandmother cried tears of joy as she watched him get the award. She said, “I’m so excited for him, and at the same time it was hard to take that all in, you know? God is good.”  

Because of everyone who supports City Gospel Mission, Ian will have the opportunity to pursue his dreams of being able to help others through their mental and spiritual journeys. Ian said he will be using this scholarship to begin his path toward a doctorate in psychology and ministry, with the goals of opening his own counseling practice and planting churches in the community. 

Written by Andrew Blosser, student at the University of Cincinnati