Gambier residents gathered Thursday to honor one of their own — and the legacy she left behind — as the late Hope Woodward-Ginther was named Citizen of the Year.
The accolade that came amidst Fourth of July festivities was a tribute not only to the joyful life the 21-year-old from Gambier lived, but also to the impact her death four years ago has had on the community.
“It is a recognition that is meaningful to us in remembering Hope and honoring Hope,” said her father, Kent Woodward-Ginther ’93, a senior development officer in Kenyon’s Office of Development. Her mother, April Woodward-Ginther, is Kenyon’s executive assistant to the vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions.
Hope died in a December 2020 collision at the intersection of Laymon Road and Route 229 that also injured her brother, Rhen, and two others. Following advocacy efforts by her family, Ohio Department of Transportation officials conducted a safety study of the intersection — where a total of 25 accidents have taken place since 2013 — and decided to construct a roundabout. The intersection, which includes Wiggin Street, closed last month for work on the project that is expected to conclude in November.
“It’s important to remember that this project is not due to one collision but to dozens and dozens of collisions that have happened,” Kent Woodward-Ginther said. “We are thankful that as part of Hope’s legacy, we are able to improve the safety in that intersection for the citizens of the Village.”
Hope Woodward-Ginther was born in Columbus on July 2, 1999. She was a 2017 graduate of Mount Vernon High School and the Knox County Career Center Teacher Academy program. She attended Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and aspired to be a teacher.
“Hope is somebody who would get up every day and try to make it a good day and a better day for everyone around her,” her father said. “She did that through her teaching. She did that through her friendships and her volunteer service. She really was dedicated to sharing her joy with other people.”
The Citizen of the Year award recognizes an individual’s contributions to the village as well as their life and their values and impact on the community, according to Mayor Leeman Kessler ’04.
“Hope Woodward-Ginther's dedication to her family, this village, and to the students she taught and cared for merit both celebration and recognition, and it was an honor to name her Citizen of the Year,” he said. “I'm grateful to her family for joining us and taking part in this year's Independence Day celebrations.”