New Fund Continues Legacy of Support for Education in Huntington County

Huntington County Community School Corporation (HCCSC) Board President Matt Roth, Community Foundation Executive Director Matt Ditzler, Trent and Melissa Wolfe, and HCCSC Superintendent John Trout at the November 27th HCCSC Board Meeting. Photo Provided.

Melissa and Trent Wolfe are long-time Huntington County residents and both Huntington North High School graduates.  When they married and started a family, they knew Huntington was the place they wanted to call home.  As a couple, they value education, community, and legacy and desire to give back to institutions that have invested in their God-given abilities.  For Melissa,  a 2004 graduate of Huntington North, that meant the high school Art Department.   

   According to Melissa, “While enrolled at Huntington North, I took as many art classes as my schedule would allow. Classes ranged from basic Art History to advanced drawing, sculpting, and ceramics courses. It was here, under the teaching of Jeanne Coons, Jerry Wright, and Candice Kaylor, that I knew I wanted to pursue a career in fine arts. “ 

   Despite knowing she wanted a profession using “art,” Melissa admits that fear and practicality took over. She ended up graduating with a degree in Secondary English Education. It’s a decision Melissa doesn’t regret, but she knew it wasn’t her passion. Melissa worked in public education for seven years before having the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom. During this three-year block of time, she took the education she received from her Huntington North art courses and started her own watercolor business, MMW Creations, specializing in architectural watercolors. 

   “I am forever grateful for the skillset the Huntington North Art Department cultivated. It gave me the confidence to take a leap of faith and do the very thing that sets my soul on fire. As a thank you, my husband and I have decided to create this endowment as an annual contribution to the Huntington North Art Department. Our hope is that these funds allow the department to grow and support the interests and needs of the next wave of artists. “

   The fund gave its first distribution to the Huntington North Art Department this fall.  Because it’s an endowed fund, it will continue to make distributions to the high school art department in perpetuity.

   “We hope this is one of many funds that can be created to support our local classrooms,” says Matt Ditzler, Executive Director. “Thank you to the Wolfe family for setting an example for how our community can support education.”

For more information on other ways the Community Foundation supports education in Huntington County, go to https://bit.ly/3uHcTHv