MARIETTA, OHIO — When Bill McElfresh and Karen Lines talk about their college experience, they do not describe ivy-covered halls or carefree campus life. As first-generation college students, they talk about long days, balancing work and class schedules, night classes that stretched until 10 p.m., and pushing forward despite every obstacle. Now, years after working their way through college with grit and determination, Bill and Karen are giving back in a monumental way with a planned gift to Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) that will change the lives of students just like them.
Bill, a 1995 graduate of Washington State Community College (now WSCO), earned his degree in mechanical engineering technology while working full-time with the Ohio Department of Transportation. Karen, a graduate of Marshall University, began working full-time at just 16 years old. With limited resources and no safety nets, their college years were defined by resilience, frugality, and perseverance.
“We both came to Marietta with everything we owned packed in our cars,” Bill said. “There were nights when I slept on a wood floor in a sleeping bag until I could afford a used bed. We understand what it means to be barely scraping by while trying to earn an education.”
That lived experience is precisely why their planned gift focuses on four critical areas that address the most pressing needs of WSCO students today: scholarships, emergency assistance, food insecurity, and transportation support.
“For me, it’s about helping people who are trying to help themselves,” Karen said. “We know what it feels like to be one car repair or grocery bill away from having to drop out. If we can be the reason someone stays in school and finishes their degree, then we’ve done something worthwhile.”
Karen emphasized that their decision to support WSCO was rooted in a deep belief in the college’s unique role in the region. “I really wanted to give back to Washington State because it’s so perfectly positioned to help the students that would be like me, that are working full time and trying to improve themselves, trying to move forward with their life,” she said. “And I feel like WSCO is well positioned to do that for students, especially now with the transfer pathways offered and baccalaureate opportunities.”
For Bill, the donation is also about preparing the region for the future. “As a community, we need to be thinking about ‘the next,’” he said. “If there’s a student out there who just needs a little help to become the next RN, the next engineer, the next teacher—whatever it may be—then we need to provide that support. That’s why this is so important to us. When we start thinking that way as a community, we can build and maintain a thriving workforce.”
Bill and Karen are now the newest members of the Washington State College of Ohio Foundation’s Heritage Society, the college’s most prestigious recognition for individuals who have included WSCO in their estate plans. The Heritage Society honors those who demonstrate outstanding philanthropic leadership by making planned gifts through wills, trusts, retirement accounts, or other arrangements that help secure the future of the college.
For Bill and Karen, it was about values and impact rather than recognition. “We saw this as our opportunity to invest in the future of the region,” Bill added. “We want to see our community grow. Not just survive, but thrive. And that starts with a well-educated, well-supported workforce.”
Their decision was reaffirmed after reading WSCO’s recent impact report, which detailed how small but timely financial assistance, such as a gas card or emergency food support, can make the difference between staying enrolled and giving up.
“These aren’t hypothetical stories. These are real people. Parents going to school, students working full-time jobs, first-generation learners who just need someone to believe in them,” Karen said. “And we’ve been those people. We see ourselves in them.”
Through their gift, Bill and Karen are also offering a quiet challenge to others: reflect on your own journey and consider how you might use your success to lift others. “People underestimate the impact they can have,” Karen said. “Even a small amount can keep a student in school or help them feed their family. That’s not just a donation. That’s changing a life.”
For the WSCO Foundation, Bill and Karen’s gift is a powerful reminder of the role donors play in student success and regional growth.
“Bill and Karen’s generosity speaks to the heart of our mission,” said Dr. Sarah Parker, President of WSCO. “Their support helps us remove barriers and create opportunities for students to thrive. This gift will have a lasting impact, and we are incredibly grateful.”
