Leap of Faith

Jason Stechschulte ’03 knew he wanted to follow in his father’s engineering footsteps, but instead of attending Ohio Northern University like his father, Jason forged a new path by attending Tri-State University. That experience changed his life, and it’s why Jason and his wife, Megan, have included Trine in their estate plan. They want to give back to the university that took a chance when it invested in him.

Jason was not entirely new to Tri-State, as he had taken some of his first steps on the campus as a baby visiting his aunt, Karen Austin, in 1981. As a multi-sport student-athlete from Columbus Grove High School in Ohio, Jason knew that he wanted to continue his athletic journey in college, and Tri-State was building a new football program that had just gone to the final four the prior year.

Narrowing his choices down to Ohio Northern and Tri-State, Jason took a leap of faith and selected Tri-State where he later met Megan, who was in town to watch a high school friend who also played on the football team. As fate would have it, Megan found herself sitting in the stands near Jason’s parents.

Four children and a million memories later, Jason is thankful that Tri-State took a chance on him. The scholarships he received enabled Jason to complete his degree, continue his athletic passions and build a successful career at Marathon Petroleum.

Jason recalls, “The relatively small campus allowed for students to know professors and to have real-life learning experiences. The practical, hands-on experiences helped prepare me for my career today.”

Having four children of their own (Madilyn, 13, Adrian, 11, Camden, 8, and Emerson, 2), Megan and Jason know well that college is expensive, and that is why they have included Trine in their estate plan with the goal of creating an endowed scholarship. This scholarship will help Trine be accessible and affordable for generations to come, and they also hope it will teach the Stechschulte children the positive power of paying it forward.

To learn more about ways you, like Jason and Megan, can make an impact on Trine students with a future gift, contact the Office of Alumni & Development at FriedenL@trine.edu or 269.300.9811.