Leadership Scholarship Recipients Receive Recognition, Opportunity
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, recently awarded 14 of its first-year students with this year's Council of Fellows leadership scholarships, which will offer both financial assistance and the opportunity for personalized leadership development training.
The recipients, who were selected from a group of 185 applicants, were chosen using a first-time process based on their high school leadership experiences and potential for being student leaders at Penn State Behrend. Applications were available to all Fall 2007 incoming freshmen.
”Over the years, we’ve seen a greater number of students who have had to work in addition to going to class,” Ken Miller, director of Student Affairs, said. “This sometimes means that students have not taken on leadership roles because they could not afford to do so. By opening this scholarship up to first-year students, we hope to instill an immediate sense of involvement in the Penn State Behrend community.”
Each of the students will participate in this year’s Student Affairs Leadership Institute, where they will learn about college resources, personal and organizational leadership skills, and have the opportunity to meet members of the Council of Fellows, who will share their own leadership opportunities. In its inaugural year, the Leadership Institute is an individually focused organization designed to offer the scholarship recipients the opportunity to shape the organization—and, in turn, their own leadership potential—from the beginning.
The scholarships are the result of an endowment created over time by Council of Fellows members, with former chair P.C. “Hoop” Roche acting as a major proponent. Council members wanted to recognize and promote leadership skills among Penn State Behrend students. The primary criteria for the scholarship includes commitment to leadership in their high schools as evidenced by their co-curricular activities as well as excellent potential for engaging in leadership positions at Penn State Behrend.
The 2007-08 Council of Fellows leadership scholarship recipients are:
Rebecca Clayton of Cranberry Jr./Sr. High, Oil City, Pa.,
Steven Conroe of Mercyhurst Preparatory School, Erie,
Jenna Floro of Ambridge Area High School, Ambridge, Pa.,
Jesse Gadley of East Forest High School, Marienville, Pa.,
Chelsea Gallagher of Riverside High School, Ellwood City, Pa.,
Lauren Glacken of Fox Chapel Area High School, Pittsburgh,
Kenneth Gorman of Seneca Valley Senior High School, Harmony, Pa.
Alexandra Johnston of Shaler Area High School, Pittsburgh,
Evan Koser of Sharpsville Area High School, Sharpsville, Pa.
Britta Landfried of Hickory High School, Hermitage, Pa.
Griffin Olon of Greenville Area High School, Greenville, Pa.
Lisa Puhak of Hickory High School, Hermitage, Pa.
Jessica Rizzilli of West Shamokin High School, Rural Valley, Pa.
Krista Temonoff of Strong Vincent High School, Erie.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is a comprehensive residential college offering 32 baccalaureate, six associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 22 minors to more than 4,000 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 110 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 intramural sports and modern facilities. For more information, visit behrend.psu.edu.