Ohio State's Inaugural Neilsen Scholar Graduates

December 18, 2024

Student Life Disability Services at Ohio State received grant monies in 2021 from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to support to student scholars with spinal cord injuires .  Our campus is one of 17 colleges in the country to offer this scholarship and we currenlty have 3 funded scholars with more to come! Our inaugural scholar funded, and the second to graduate from Ohio State, received their degree this December. 

We'd like you to meet, and help us congratulate, Nat Thiebert, on earning their Bachelor of Science in Microbiology!  Way to go!!

Name: Nat Theibert

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Major/Program: BS- Microbiology

Minor, Certificates, or Thesis: Minor in Mycology

Why did you come to Ohio State?

I chose to come to Ohio State because growing up I remember hearing about OSU and how prestigious it is and how many of my family members also attended OSU. Once I actually chose where to attend college I was set on OSU because of the legacy and the impressive microbiology program.

Favorite place on Campus?

I spent a lot of time at the Union because I was a commuter and there were a lot of places to eat and nice places to study there. I probably spent the most time in the Biological Sciences Building as that was where all of my labs were. 

Future Plans: I hope to continue my education at OSU and become a professor of Microbiology.

Advice for Future Buckeyes:

The most important advice I can offer is even if you aren’t sure you can do something, try anyways. Navigating anything with a disability is quite scary, but there is almost always a way to modify it to make something accessible.

Impact of receiving the Nielsen Foundation Scholarship:

The Neilsen Foundation Scholarship allowed me to get my degree without the crushing student debt usually associated with higher education and the freedom of entering the workforce without having to worry about student loans.

Biggest takeaway from Ohio State: 

The biggest takeaway is the confidence I have in exploring the world as a person with a disability. The opportunities I had at OSU, and the accessibility always provided, showed me that there is a place for me wherever I want to work and that my disability is not a reason to not apply for any opportunity I might want to pursue.