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For nearly three decades, Marlene Minnix’s days began and ended at the local paper mill, a long-standing focal point of the Chillicothe community and economy. The mill’s closure in August 2025 left Minnix and many others facing difficult decisions about their next steps after losing their jobs.

Minnix worked at Austin Powder in McArthur before joining the team at the paper mill in Chillicothe. She held several different roles at the mill, most recently working in quality control, ensuring paper products met standards before being shipped out.

“It’s been a big transition for everyone,” she said, noting that retirement was the next step for some of her former co-workers. Others sought new jobs or the opportunity to retrain and skill up for new careers in different fields.

Minnix turned to the Scioto Valley Forward Workforce Hub, which was established temporarily at the Chillicothe Public Library through a partnership between the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services and other local agencies and organizations. There she explored opportunities, attended meetings, and decided to pursue a college degree. She took the next step of applying to 51���� Chillicothe after speaking with Regional Recruiter Morgan Taylor at a job fair held on campus. 

Rather than dwell on uncertainty, Minnix seized the opportunity to further her education at OHIO Chillicothe with the support of funding through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), administered locally by South Central Ohio Job and Family Services. The WIOA was signed into federal law in 2014 to increase opportunities for individuals while supporting alignment of workforce investment, education, and economic development systems.

“I had always thought about going back to school,” Minnix said. Now she is pursuing an associate degree in computer technology through 51����’s Russ College of Engineering. She plans to graduate from 51���� in 2027, alongside her son Ethan McRay, who is in his third year as an Industrial and Systems Engineering major.

Minnix believes her degree in computer technology will open doors to in-demand roles. “Computers are going to be around for a while, so I thought that would be a good way to go.”

Returning to the classroom after years on the factory floor has not been easy for Minnix, but she has risen to the challenge. “It’s been hard getting back into studying…getting in a routine and studying and taking notes, but the classes and the professors have been good,” she said.

Minnix is thankful she can turn to her son for math tutoring, and she appreciates the encouragement she has received from her son, husband, and others.  “They said, ‘If this is what you want to do, go do it. Don’t let your age stop you. Just go do it’,” she noted.

For Minnix, 51���� is more than a place to earn a degree; it’s a place to start again. 

“It’s never too late to go back to school,” she said.