It is the honor and privilege of daughter Nelda Sims, a Youngstown State University graduate to establish this legacy scholarship to honor her parents, TJ and Annie Ruth Rushton. TJ and Annie Ruth Rushton migrated from Alabama and Arkansas to Youngstown, Ohio where they met and married. Together, they raised nine children with the principles of loving God, family, working hard, and sharing with others.
TJ was self-employed in hauling and Construction services and Annie, after working from home raising and nurturing her children, obtained employment at a local hospital in Food Service and Housekeeping. They taught their children that they could do anything that they put their minds to do with faith, determination, and hard work. TJ and Annie only had a 4th and 7th-grade education, and it would appear they had nothing, but the strong foundation they provided for their nine children produced a legacy of success for their children and generations to come. Those strong roots now have many branches, and all their children attended college or trade school and continued their legacy.
This scholarship is for a minority student majoring in education with a minimum 3.0 GPA and a completed FAFSA. Preference will be given to student(s) from Youngstown and/or who are a first-generation college student(s).