Organizers of the Osaze Osagie College Scholarship are trying to reach a $100,000 goal this Giving Tuesday to endow a scholarship in the name of a State College man killed by police in 2019.
The scholarship will be awarded for the first time in 2022. Racially underrepresented students graduating from State College Area High School and heading to college or a trade school are eligible to apply.
Charima Young is the chair of the scholarship committee. She said GPAs and test scores are not the most important criteria they’re looking for in scholarship applicants.
“Community volunteerism and service is really at the heart of this scholarship. That was the passion of Osaze, and we want to be able to continue his legacy in the young people,” Young said.
So far, they’ve raised more than $83,000.
Young said the first winner will probably receive $5,000, but more donations might mean a bigger scholarship or more than one winner annually.
Rija Sabeeh is a senior at State College Area High School and the student representative on the scholarship committee. She’s involved in peer advocacy, peer counseling and anti-bullying groups at the high school.
“And I thought this would just be another avenue to pursue in order to kind of work toward racial justice,” Sabeeh said. “Especially being a student at State High and applying to college myself, I recognize how difficult the process is, especially when you have to consider financials as a possible barrier.”
Sabeeh hopes the scholarship will bring awareness to the struggles marginalized students can face when applying to college.
The Osaze Osagie College Scholarship is accepting donations through theCentre Foundation website.
