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Young Scholars Program

$10,070
Amount Raised
73
Gifts Received

Young Scholars Program

For more than 35 years, the Young Scholars Program (YSP) has actively transformed the lives of countless scholars from the nine largest urban school districts in Ohio. By providing scholars the opportunity to learn how to go and to succeed in college, YSP has transformed the lives of its scholars, their families and their home communities. Our program has opened doors to a wide range of experiences at The Ohio State University, Ohio communities and beyond.

As a proud alumnus of Ohio State, a first-generation college student and the Executive Director of the Young Scholars Program, I am asking you to join me in the 2024 YSP Buckeye Funder City Challenge. Please represent your YSP city pride and contribute to this exciting initiative. Your giving will contribute to the continuation of YSP, our scholars programs and services. I encourage you to share how YSP has transformed your life, and I encourage you to invite your friends, family and companies to invest in your namesake, too.

Dr. Chila Thomas, YSP Executive Director

Although our Buckeye Funder campaign is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here.

Akron Champions for YSP
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State.
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State. raised from YSP Champions Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here. The Great City of Akron! It is my pleasure to serve as the city's Program Coordinator for the Young Scholars Program (YSP) and send this letter in hopes of gaining your support during our Buckeye Funder City Challenge for YSP. Since 1988, The Young Scholars Program has served our Akron Public Schools and paved the way for many of its gifted students to seek opportunities we couldn’t imagine. YSP has allowed dreams to become reality and success to be attainable. The dedication and commitment of the program, its staff, supporters and scholars have led to its longevity and success. As a proud alumnus of the Young Scholars Program and The Ohio State University, I truly understand and appreciate the opportunity YSP afforded me in pursuing my college education and still providing me with. As alumni and community members, this is where I – WE – need your help! As a city, we are charged with raising funds to help sustain the Young Scholars Development Fund, which aids current and future scholars during hardships and emergencies to continue their education pursuits and program needs. AKRON, we are the first, so let’s finish FIRST! As a city, let’s put our dollars together and make a difference in the ones that follow in our footsteps. We can lead the way in the City Challenge and show why when we show up, we show out! I challenge you, fellow YSP alumni and community members, to make your gift today and be the blessing OUR scholars and OUR Program need and deserve! Peace and Blessings, Eric “E” Fletcher, YSP Class of ‘02 Program Coordinator Young Scholars Program – Akron
Canton Champions for YSP
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State.
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State. raised from YSP Champions Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here. Hello, my name is Lisa A. Gissendaner (Ms. G), and I serve as the Program Coordinator for The Ohio State University, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Young Scholars Program (YSP) – Canton Office. As the program is celebrating its 35th year, I challenge all alumni and community members from the "Hall of Fame City" to give to the 2024 Buckeye Funder YSP City Challenge. Your generous support will provide scholarships and services to our district's first-generation students or qualifying students. Scholars who sit in a seat you once held sit with the hope and anticipation that they, too, will receive a generous financial need-based scholarship to pursue their higher education at The Ohio State University as a proud member of the Young Scholars Program. The challenge is set. The call to action now rests with each one of you. Let us continue to grow this college access program, support our district and most importantly, show our scholars that we value their desire to pursue higher education. LET'S GO "Hall of Fame City"! Let us meet and exceed this call. Lisa A. Gissendaner Program Coordinator Young Scholars Program – Canton
Cincinnati Champions for YSP
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State.
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State. raised from YSP Champions Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here. I am a Dayton Scholar Alumna who is grateful for the opportunity to serve the beautiful and talented city of Cincinnati these last few years. The way these Scholars show up for one another, for themselves and for me, reignites my passion for the legacy of our program and the work I get to do every day. I work for this program because it worked for me. It’s a privilege to go from being a scholar starting in the 6th grade in 2004, graduating from The Ohio State University in 2014 to volunteering with the program whenever I could, and now guiding new Scholars as their Program Coordinator since 2022. Cincinnati has become my new home as much as the Scholars and their families have become my people alongside my son, the YSP baby who joins me on this journey. I could not be more proud to have him witness these amazing role models take on CCP courses, athletics, the arts and honors classes, even while navigating the challenges that come with being a first-generation student. They do it all and still maintain this commitment to being a Scholar in and out of the classroom. In 2023, 100% of our Queen City YSP Seniors were admitted to Ohio State and chose to attend! This year, 2024, our entire cohort has once again been admitted to Ohio State, and we eagerly await final decisions. More than numbers, the beauty of this program are the hearts of our students who strive to make real changes in the world around them and are on a path to do just that. The lawyers and activists, the engineers and entrepreneurs, the pediatricians and the lawmakers, the artists and dancers and so many more. Help us aid in the longevity of this work which lights up the community and gives back time and time again. With each donation, you can show them Cincinnati is the number 1 supporter of this journey they're on and prepare the path ahead for many Scholars to come. O-H! India R. Brown, MDIV Program Coordinator Young Scholars Program – Cincinnati
Columbus Champions for YSP
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State.
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State. raised from YSP Champions Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here. As the proud Program Coordinator for Columbus, it has been my joy to serve within our esteemed Columbus City Schools, where the Young Scholars Program (YSP) has been making a difference since its founding in 1988. Our city boasts the largest cohort among the nine cities involved, a testament to the enthusiasm and dedication of our scholars and alumni alike. Today, I bring forth an electrifying opportunity to unite in support of our current Young Scholars through the YSP Buckeye Funder City Challenge. This is not just any fundraising initiative—it is a City Challenge, calling upon us, the Capital City's alumni, to show out for OUR community and demonstrate the unparalleled spirit of Columbus. By contributing to this City Challenge, your donations will fuel our Young Scholars Development Fund directly, ensuring essential resources and opportunities remain within reach for our scholars. From academic enrichment to college readiness programs, your support will sustain vital initiatives that empower OUR young minds to flourish. As a proud graduate of Columbus City Schools, I deeply understand the impact this program has on shaping OUR community's future. Let us honor OUR city's legacy and uphold our duty to support our current Young Scholars. Together, we can make a monumental difference in their educational journey and beyond. Join me, Columbus Young Scholar Alumni, in embracing this City Challenge with unwavering enthusiasm and generosity. Your contributions, no matter the size, will ignite a ripple effect of opportunity and empowerment for generations to come. With heartfelt gratitude, Teneeyah T. Hale Program Coordinator Young Scholars Program – Columbus
Toledo Champions for YSP
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State.
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State. raised from YSP Champions Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here. The Ohio State Young Scholars Program (YSP) serves as an instrumental vessel of college access for our local youth who demonstrate academic excellence. The program specifically serves first-generation students, many of whom would not have the resources and support to navigate the college-going process. As your new Program Coordinator, I am proud to serve my hometown of Toledo! As I embark on this journey, I am putting forth a call to action. I need for Toledo to stand up and give to THE life-changing program for educational opportunities in our city. Please give to the 2024 YSP City Challenge and represent The Glass City. The YSP scholarship significantly lessens the financial burden of attending THE Ohio State University. Our Scholars work hard to earn the scholarship while engaging in personal and professional development, residential summer programming and forming lasting statewide friendships. Your contribution goes directly towards providing tailored support, guidance and resources to help Toledo families. Shivella Vonner Program Coordinator Young Scholars Program – Toledo
Youngstown Champions for YSP
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State.
Make your gift today to help sustain and enhance the Young Scholars Program at Ohio State. raised from YSP Champions Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please make a gift here. The Office of Diversity & Inclusion’s Young Scholars Program (YSP) represents one of Ohio State’s finest efforts at increasing college access as well as diversity. As a first-generation college graduate, Youngstown native and city school alumna, it is an honor to serve our community as the YSP Program Manager. I am asking for Youngstown to stand up and give to THE most transformative and life-changing program for educational opportunities in our city. The YSP scholarship significantly lessens the financial burden to attend the top research institution in Ohio. Our Scholars work hard to earn the scholarship while engaging in personal and professional development, residential summer programming and forming lasting statewide friendships. Our future Buckeyes and I thank you in advance for your contribution as it goes directly towards providing tailored support, guidance and resources to help Youngstown families navigate the complexities of the college process. In Buckeye spirit, Tiffany Quiñones-Payiavlas Program Manager Young Scholars Program – Youngstown
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