- Please state your major in school and year of graduation.
Major: Communications with a minor in Nonprofit Leadership
Graduation: 2017
- What initially made you choose YSU?
I chose YSU because it was close to home and I made the color guard team in the marching band. I enjoyed that I was able to get involved in a student organization on my first day at YSU and I stayed involved throughout my college experience.
- How did receiving a YSU Foundation scholarship(s) help you with your education?
Receiving a YSU Foundation scholarship helped with my education so that I could finish my last semester of classes and not have to leave school. I got to a point in my college career that I was struggling financially and was not able to fund my schooling anymore. I only had 4 more classes to take and I was so worried I was going to have to take time off and not be able to finish my degree. I then wrote in a letter to the YSU Foundation discussing my situation and I was awarded a $2,000 Emergency Fund scholarship to help finish my degree. I was so happy when I received the letter that I cried on my front porch while reading it and felt such relief!
- How did receiving said scholarship(s) impact your life after graduation?
I was able to finish my degree and shortly after, I was able to begin my adult life with the help of my education. Quickly after graduation I was married and expecting my first child. I was seeking out gainful employment during my pregnancy and being a YSU graduate helped when networking with professionals in the area. I then landed my first job in my career helping adults with job skills and development of life skills. My Nonprofit Leadership certificate has taken me far and I’ve worked in nonprofits since 2018.
- Please share anything else about yourself/your story that you would like to share. Thank you!
I would say that being a college graduate had never seemed like an option for me when I was a child. To be fair, I had no idea what I wanted to do beyond high school and I began college wandering around. I was happy to gain a strong friend base that I still keep in touch with today and create connections that will go with me throughout my lifetime. I am the first college graduate of my family and shortly after, my brother and sister followed suit. I am so proud of my siblings for overcoming our barriers to achieve our academic and career successes. YSU is an educational institution that I owe everything to and I will never stop being a proud Penguin!