First Student Leader Legacy Scholarship Awarded at Penn College

Student fundraising efforts at Pennsylvania College of Technology have resulted in a new scholarship award for a returning student leader.

At the college's recent Student Awards Banquet, Carl F. Gravely, of Arona, who will enter his senior year in Penn College's building automation technology bachelor-degree major this fall, was announced as the recipient of the first award from the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship fund.

The $500 award is the result of fundraising efforts by the college's Student Government Association over the past 10 months, including hosting a Donkey Basketball game during Homecoming in January. Proceeds from that game, along with other donations, resulted in a total of more than $1,700 to establish the first student-created scholarship fund building toward endowment at Penn College.

Gravely said he's honored to be the first recipient of an award from the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship. "Penn College has many excellent leaders semester after semester, and to be the first to receive this scholarship shows the determination to keep student leaders within the college community," he said.

On campus, Gravely is affiliated with the Student Government Association, the Wildcat Events Board, the Residence Hall Association, Phi Theta Kappa, SkillsUSA and the National Residence Hall Honorary, and he was instrumental in planning and constructing this year's Penn College Mardi Gras float, which resulted in the college's second consecutive grand prize. Among his many activities in the Williamsport community are volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and serving as an assistant Sunday school music teacher at Third Street United Methodist Church.

Outgoing SGA President James Riedel, of Quogue, N.Y., who is scheduled to receive a bachelor's degree in automotive technology management this month, said that, last September, he never would have imagined that the SGA would award a scholarship from its own efforts.

"It began as an idea to continue student philanthropy from the success of the Madigan Library campaign," Riedel said. "The idea was to create a student legacy fund, and from there on, we just ran with it."

Student organizations raised more than $3,000 for Penn College's Roger and Peggy Madigan Library during the 2005-06 academic year.

SGA President-Elect Andrew S. Wisner, of York, who is entering his senior year in the welding and fabrication engineering technology bachelor-degree major, praised Riedel for his efforts to establish the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship.

"Jim has started a legacy that will last for years to come," Wisner said. "His devotion to Penn College is apparent by all his hard work and determination. The scholarship was made for students by the students, and I hope that, in the future, the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship can grow and flourish."

The SGA is planning to hold annual fundraising activities toward the goal of making the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship a fully endowed (permanent) source of scholarship awards.

Successful applicants for the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship must be full-time students with a grade-point average of at least 2.5 and a minimum of one year of full-time status remaining in their studies, who demonstrate a strong determination to continue the legacy of student leadership at Penn College. Preference will be given to students who have demonstrated previous leadership to the college and the surrounding communities.

Anyone interested in making a gift to the Student Leader Legacy Scholarship may do so by mail to Penn College Institutional Advancement Office, One College Avenue, Williamsport, PA 17701-5799; or online .