The following students are Ohio Contractors Association Hall of Fame Scholarship recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year:
Grace Costin Kent State University
Benjamin Jessop University of Dayton
Timothy Jones University of Akron
Alyssa Lanum Case Western Reserve University
Kael Margraf Ohio Northern University
Ben Mast Ohio State University
Michael Mog Ohio State University
Nicholas Petrucci Case Western Reserve University
Maddox Sivon University of Dayton
Michael Ticchione Ohio Northern University
The Ohio Contractors Association’s (OCA) Hall of Fame Scholarship Program turns 29 years old. Including the $40,000 in scholarships being awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year, the program has granted more than $400,000 in financial assistance to college students working toward degrees in the areas of civil engineering, construction management or construction technology.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the OCA Hall of Fame Scholarship Program is awarding 10, one-year scholarships to students attending eight in-state universities. Traditionally, the OCA Hall of Fame Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students obtaining two-year associate and four-year bachelor’s degrees.
For the second year, a Hall of Fame Scholarship recipient is also receiving the additional $2,000 Heffner Fund Award for Conspicuous Merit. The 2025-2026 Conspicuous Merit Award, which was awarded to Kent State University’s Grace Costin, goes to the student receiving the highest score as judged by the OCA Hall of Fame Scholarship Taskforce.
Since 1996, OCA’s Hall of Fame Scholarship Program has awarded scholarships to college students pursuing careers in the heavy/highway construction industry. To be eligible for an OCA Hall of Fame Scholarship, students must be a U.S. citizen and enrolled in at least their second year of study in either an associate degree program or in at least their third year of a bachelor’s degree program. Preference is given to Ohio residents and those students showing an interest in the Ohio heavy/highway or utility construction fields.
OCA Hall of Fame Scholarship recipients are selected through an application process that includes recommendations from academic professors/instructors and industry representatives; scholastic ability; and financial assistance need. Extra weight is given to applicants who include a letter of recommendation from an OCA member. “This connection is so crucial that if the applicant has worked or co-oped for an OCA member and does not submit a letter of recommendation, they actually lose a point in their score,” said OCA Director, Membership/Advancement Foundation Lynda Pomeroy, who works with the Hall of Fame Scholarship Task Force.
Awards are based upon recommendations from the Hall of Fame Scholarship Task Force, which is comprised of volunteer OCA members. In Fiscal Year 2026, Task Force members include: Rachel Bates (Eagle Bridge Co.), Mike Dinneen (Agg Rok Materials), Jackie Guttman (The Ruhlin Co.) and Chris Szabo (The Ruhlin Co.). Additional thanks go to the member firm representatives who took time to submit letters of recommendation for applicants.
Financing of the fiscal year 2026 OCA Hall of Fame Scholarship Program is through the OCA Advancement Foundation and its endowment, plus additional funding through the Heffner Fund.
Recipients for the 2026-2027 OCA Hall of Fame Scholarships will be announced in December 2026.
For more information about the program, contact Pomeroy by email at lpomeroy@ohiocontractors.org, or by calling (614) 488-0724.