The changemakers
UD educates students for change. Through the Flyer Promise Scholars program, high-achieving students who might’ve viewed a UD education as unattainable receive mentoring in leadership, career development and life skills. Graduating with little to no debt, they step directly into roles as changemakers. From health care to education to social services, five alumni from the program’s first two cohorts have defined success not just for themselves, but for the common good — and they’re bringing that good back into their communities, their relationships and the systems they’re working to change.
Believing in the power of home
How does it feel to be homeless? Dezanee’ Bluthenthal’s clients know — and so does she. “Flyer Promise opened a door I didn’t even know existed,” said the Class of 2021 grad. Her calling is paying forward the compassion she received at UD.
Dezanee’ Bluthenthal ’21 understands the power of stability — not because it came easily, but because she learned how to create it for herself and others.
“During my time at UD, I went through periods of housing instability, and Flyer Promise made sure I had a place to stay when the semester ended and I had nowhere else to go,” said Bluthenthal, who earned a bachelor’s in psychology. “That kind of care left a lasting mark on me.”
The Flyer Promise program didn’t just make a difference for the first-generation college student — it made all the difference.
“It truly changed the trajectory of my life,” she said. “Flyer Promise opened a door I didn’t even know existed. It wasn’t just a scholarship; it was a lifeline. It meant I could stay close to my family, remain connected to the community that raised me, and have a circle of support that believed in me even when I doubted myself.”
The Dayton native is currently a housing navigator for the Save the Family Foundation of Arizona. The organization provides housing, case management and supportive services to more than 1,000 homeless and impoverished families in Maricopa County.
“For the past three years, I have worked with individuals and families experiencing homelessness, and I see my work as a way to pay that compassion forward, to offer others the same stability and hope that Flyer Promise once gave me,” Bluthenthal said. “Flyer Promise helped shape me into someone who believes deeply in the power of good deeds and belonging.”
Bluthenthal said she felt that sense of belonging from day one on the University of Dayton campus.
“On my first day of orientation, my student advisor, Kathleen Henderson, told us that we belonged at the University of Dayton and not to let anyone or any experience convince us otherwise,” she said. “I have carried those words with me ever since. No matter what space I walk into, even if I am the only Black woman in the room, I stand firm in knowing that I belong there.”
That sense of belonging is something she now strives to pass on to the families she serves — many of whom have been denied access elsewhere to basic necessities or opportunities. Through her work at Save the Family, Bluthenthal has been able to successfully house dozens of families facing significant barriers such as past and recent evictions, legal history and or lack of income.
“At UD, I discovered my passion for service work, found my voice, and grew into a version of myself that leads with compassion and purpose,” Bluthenthal said. “Flyer Promise did not just support me through college; it helped me see what was possible when someone believes in you, and that is what I now hope to reflect back into my community.”
Passing purpose onto students
Christmas on Campus attracted her to UD, but Flyer Promise ensured her success. Now, Elena Ramos ’22 is focused on making a difference in the lives of students by championing education and building belonging. “I can’t give up when things get hard.”
The twinkling lights, the towering tree, the laughter and the smiles — every moment of her first Christmas on Campusexperience is forever etched in Elena Ramos’ memory.
“It was perfect, absolutely perfect,” Ramos said. “So many people, so many activities.”
She attended Christmas on Campus during a visit to UD as high school senior, and the experience made a lasting impression. But college tuition was a daunting prospect for the Ramos family.
“The financial strain my family faced, especially after already sending one child to college, weighed heavily on my decision-making process,” Ramos said. “I needed to make a smart financial choice while ensuring I attended a university that offered a strong education.
“Flyer Promise is the reason I went to college. It wasn’t just the financial aid — though that was certainly a compelling factor — but the feeling of belonging and purpose solidified my decision.”
That’s not to say her college experience was an easy one. Ramos even contemplated dropping out after failing a class her first year.
“One of the lessons I learned was that I can’t give up when things get hard; I must find alternatives,” Ramos said. “Donnell Wiggins [an associate vice president and dean of admission] and Beverly Jenkins [student success advisor] were the ones who kept me level-headed and guided me to the people who helped me transition out of the early childhood education program. I apply this lesson in my personal and professional life daily because it was one of the first moments where, even though I felt defeated, I had help to move forward.”
Ramos, a Latina first-generation American, credits the Flyer Promise program with paving the way for her continued higher education journey, including recently completing a Fulbright grant as an English teaching assistant in São Luís, Maranhao, Brazil. She is now paying it forward as a Fulbright Latinx mentor for the 2025 school year, helping mentor students through recent changes in the Fulbright application process.
Now a principal fellow in the Boston Public Schools, Ramos is focused on making a difference in her students’ lives and sharing the lessons she has learned, especially that it’s OK to ask for help.
“Looking back, I truly believe my journey — both before and after college — was meant to be. I was meant to be part of Flyer Promise, and I was meant to graduate from the University of Dayton,” said Ramos, who earned her bachelor’s in international studies. “I’m incredibly proud of the person I’ve become through my higher education journey, and I can confidently say that Flyer Promise was a foundational part of that transformation.”
Promising a bright future through preschool
Resilience, leadership and service — these are values Alure´ Powell-Russell ’21 says she learned through the Flyer Promise Scholars. Today, she’s using those values to help educators and families ensure every child in Montgomery County, Ohio, is healthy and ready to succeed in kindergarten.
Flyer Promise helped Alure´ Powell-Russell ’21 translate her dream into reality.
“As a Dayton native from an urban, working-class family, I never imagined attending the University of Dayton — it felt like the Ivy League of my hometown and financially out of reach,” she said. “Receiving the Flyer Promise scholarship changed everything. It made attending UD not only possible but nearly debt-free, lifting the financial burden from my family and me.”
Powell-Russell is now helping families get a jumpstart on making their children’s dreams into reality as the administrative marketing and social media specialist for Preschool Promise. Her work centers on communication and outreach with families and early learning centers that provide quality, affordable child care across Montgomery County.
“I believe my work makes a difference because genuine communication and personal connections build the trust that allows families and providers to thrive,” said the communication graduate. “Through social media and community outreach, I help educate families about the importance of preschool, share resources, highlight our community partners, and connect individuals to services that support their children’s learning and well-being.”
She is also incorporating her day job into a master’s degree. Powell-Russell — who will graduate in May 2026 with a UD master’s degree in education — is conducting research for Preschool Promise to deepen the organization’s understanding of how parents and teachers communicate and how families view the role of early childhood education in shaping lifelong learners.
“Seeing firsthand how transformative programs like Flyer Promise can be for students shaped my passion for educational access and solidified my desire to root my career in education and nonprofit work,” she said.
Her passion has also given her a platform.
“I’m proud to use my platform to inform families about how political decisions impact them, including leading educational campaigns for working families and participating in advocacy efforts like the Groundwork Ohio rally at the Statehouse,” she said. “My work reflects the same values of access, support and transformation that Flyer Promise instilled in me.”
The Dayton native credits Flyer Promise with teaching her to trust herself and her decisions while inspiring her to become a trailblazer who could pour back into the community in ways aligned with her passions and strengths. The program instilled in her three key values: resilience, leadership and service.
“Being a Flyer Promise scholar remains one of my proudest achievements, and it continues to motivate me to give back through my career, financial contributions, and ongoing commitment to showing others how transformative education can be,” she said. “Flyer Promise didn’t just open a door — it gave me the confidence to walk through it.”
Caring for older patients
Diversity in backgrounds, faith and culture: Being a part of the Flyer Promise cohort was enlightening and invaluable for Chase Hoffman ’22.
“It truly opened my eyes to be curious about how people who are different than me think and understand the world,” said the premed graduate. “This has directly helped my career choice of being a physician assistant because my patients all have different experiences. Having that curiosity sparked in my time at UD makes it easier to navigate complex provider-patient relationships where there is a level of trust, understanding and ability to work together to ultimately make good medical decisions that work for the individual.”
A career in medicine was the goal from the day Hoffman stepped foot on campus, but being a part of the Flyer Promise program helped him find his path.
“During my freshman year, Flyer Promise was invited to an event at President Spina’s house, where we were able to meet the deans of the different schools,” Hoffman said. There he learned about UD’s physician assistant master’s program, and the dean arranged a meeting for Hoffman and the program director.
Hoffman credits his Flyer Promise team and other students in his cohort with pushing him to be his best and gain acceptance into the master’s program. He graduated in December 2024 and is working in primary care at the Diley Medical Group in Ohio, focusing on treating geriatric patients who live in extended care facilities.
“Unfortunately, this population is underserved and often is medically complex,” he said, which can require a practitioner to refer care beyond the medical. Socioeconomic factors can also limit treatment options. “Being able to navigate the complexity while providing cost-effective treatment is something that I am extremely proud to say that I am actively making a difference. It challenges me to continue to learn to make sure that I am always up-to-date, providing the best care for this population.”
Those early days in the Flyer Promise program pay off every single day, he said.
“It taught me different ways to approach conversations — even hard conversations — with people of all ages, ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds,” he said, which allows him to have an even greater impact for his patients, even this early in his career.
Seeking future Flyers
As a high school student, Seth Jones ’21 couldn’t see himself at UD. Flyer Promise changed that. Today, he opens the door for future Flyer Promise Scholars and assures them they belong, just like he did: “I knew that UD was the place for me.”
Illustrations by Brent Beck.