Talawanda High School junior creates district-wide fundraiser for students

Every day, after the final bell rings at Talawanda High School, junior Abbie Marcum heads to the Oxford Lane Library – but not to study. 

Instead, she tutors students in the Oxford community, from first graders to adults working toward their GED in a variety of subjects, such as English.

She’s been teaching for over two years, but during long days at the library when her own homework piled up on top of tutoring, she questioned her motivation to continue schooling others. 

She realized that her services provided more than just learning.

“Not only am I helping them learn something, but I’m also helping them be a person outside of, ‘What are we going to have for dinner? What is my little brother going to do while I’m here?’” she said.  “So after seeing all that and realizing that I really am helping more than I believed I was, it motivated me to keep going.” 

She is also involved in a Big Brothers Big Sisters program. She wants to attend Ohio State and become an English teacher for non-English speaking individuals. 

Despite her future plans, Marcum acknowledged how past experiences have been incredibly influential to her endeavors. During the 2024 school year, her relatives could not afford the $80 in fees for school-issued Chromebooks her two cousins needed. Marcum’s stepfather helped cover those expenses, but the experience struck something within her. 

“Why, as a public school district, are we charging parents in a predominantly low income school district this much money just to do their homework?,” she recalled thinking.

Initially, she thought about raising money through a bake sale, but there was just one problem - she didn’t like to bake. 

 She turned her fundraising efforts to Oxford businesses and the community. 

Marcum is originally from Eaton, and the biggest difference she noticed when moving to Oxford was its accessible access to the community.

So when she won four tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo Festival of Lights, she felt inspired to create her own raffle and fundraiser for the 2025 school year. 

Community members helped her print flyers and cut QR codes. 

She and a friend braved the crowds during Miami University’s move-in weekend to pass out flyers to uptown businesses. Her efforts caught the attention of a local news channel, who featured her on TV. Within 12 hours, the fundraiser reached its initial goal of $500, an amount set to support around 13 children throughout the district. 

“That is my end goal – for everything – (to) pay off overdue fees, get them what they need for next school year. You know, just make sure they’re prepared.”

Marcum’s fundraiser is still ongoing, something she attributes to the generosity of Oxford citizens. She’s raised around $2,500 so far, which has helped pay for not only school fees for children, but also their school supplies.

“It’s more of doing the same thing for others that I wish somebody would have done for me. I realized that I can do good too, as long as you're kind to others, and you put in the effort to try,” said Marcum.