The Osaze Osagie Scholarship Endowment Committee has announced the three State College Area High School seniors who won its inaugural college scholarships for their community service and volunteer work.
The first-place $5,000 scholarship was awarded to Elana Laing, who has volunteered for the Jana Marie Foundation, church programs, middle school mentor programs and more. She said the scholarship commemorates the good work of Osaze Osagie, who was killed by State College police in 2019.
“I know the hardship that his death had on the community and I know that in all of the memorials and celebrations that we have for his life, it remarks on how he spent his life in service to his community,” Laing said.
Laing identifies as Afro-Caribbean and Black American. Charima Young is the chair of the scholarship committee. She said the scholarships for racially underrepresented State High graduates honor Osagie’s legacy. He was a State High grad.
“We wanted to really hone in on students who are minorities in State High School and really look at the service that they’re doing," Young said.
The two runner-ups, Catherine Wang and Jashaun Green, were also awarded scholarships by the committee.
Osagie’s parents, Sylvester and Iyun, also serve on the scholarship committee. Sylvester said the recipients, “Exhibit the spirit of service and volunteerism that characterized Osaze’s life.”