WPN Awards 2022-23

The WPN members successfully exceeded their 2022-23 goal of $39,000 and fully funded the 2022-23 grants requested by the campus community. With this support, the WPN provided:

  • Funding to support FBLA students to compete at the state level, and travel to Orlando in the summer of 2024 to compete nationally.
  • Funding to support HACC Transfer Scholarships to assist students to transition from HACC to Penn State York to obtain a four-year degree.
  • Funding to expand the Dress for Success Program to provide professional clothing to students attending Penn State York who ask for assistance to obtain appropriate attire for interviews, internships, and new jobs.
  • Funding to support students to join Anne Vardo-Zalik on a summer field research program in California.
  • Fund four leadership scholarships for students who “stepped up” to become dedicated leaders of student organizations on campus: Student Government Association, Lion Ambassadors, and the Blue and White Society.
  • Sponsor students to attend the Pennsylvania Women’s Conference in Philadelphia in the fall. Attendees are nominated by faculty and staff and complete an essay application, that is reviewed by the WPN Selection Committee to determine who will attend. All costs for the students are covered by this grant.

WPN Awards 2021-22

The WPN members successfully exceeded their 2021-22 goal of $38,900 and fully funded the 2021-22 grants requested by the campus community. With this support, the WPN provided:

  • Funding for the 2022 PaSSS summer field trip to Washington DC. The Pathway to Success: Summer Start (PaSSS) program provides students the opportunity to acclimate to college-level learning; build a supportive network of faculty, staff, and peers; and get a jump start on their degree programs before taking a full course load in the fall.
  • Funding to partner with the Pathways Program to bring in a keynote speaker, Danni Washington, for the one-day workshop where local 7th grade students learn about the different pathways they can take to follow a STEM course of study at their future college/university, and opportunities that exist in STEM careers. Danni Washington is well-known for being fierce, focused, and on a mission. As a world-renowned television host and science communicator, she is the first African American woman to host a nationally broadcast syndicated science television series.
  • Funding for technology to build the classroom-of-the-future at Penn State York.
  • Funding to purchase equipment for Jessica Petko and Anne Vardo-Zalik, biology professors at Penn State York, to expand their ability to do state-of-the-art research in their areas of concentration: spider circadian rhythms and the effects of drought on lizard malaria. Each professor has a cohort of students who work with them on these research projects.
  • Funding to support FBLA students to compete at the state level, and travel to Atlanta in the summer of 2023 to compete nationally.
  • Fund four leadership scholarships for students who “stepped up” to become dedicated leaders of student organizations on campus: Student Government Association, Lion Ambassadors, and the Blue and White Society.
  • Sponsor students to attend the Pennsylvania Women’s Conference in Philadelphia in the fall. Attendees are nominated by faculty and staff and complete an essay application, that is reviewed by the WPN Selection Committee to determine who will attend. All costs for the students are covered by this grant.

WPN Awards 2020-21

The WPN members successfully exceeded their 2020-21 goal of $33,000 and fully funded the 2020-21 grants requested by the campus community. With this support, the WPN provided:

  • Four WPN Student Leadership Scholarships
  • Women’s Conference Awards to Students: Providing funding for seven students to attend the Pennsylvania Conference for Women – held virtually in November 2021.
  • Human Development and Family Studies Research Software: The Social Science Qualitative Research Methods Project will advance education and research with the acquisition of five portable MAXQDA licenses to be utilized in the Social Science Research Lab (SSRL) and in the research methods course HDFS 312W (Empirical Inquiry in Human Development).
  • Center for Inclusive Leadership (CIL) Program Funding: Provide support for future CIL training programs to educate and empower students and emerging leaders, from all backgrounds and experiences, in leadership styles that promote collaborative work and cultivate communities of inclusion.
  • Veteran Lounge Upgrade: The Veteran’s Lounge provides a way to bring veteran students together to provide information and develop a sense of belonging and community at Penn State York. Upgrading the space with easy access and better technology will allow for more visibility and convenience and will have a positive impact on our veteran students experience today, tomorrow and for years to come.
  • Student Veterans of America (SVA) Conference Award: The SVA is a national organization that focusses on veteran welfare to ensure student veterans are supported in their transition to education and employment. Funding was provided for the current Penn State York SVA President to attend the national conference held in January in Orlando, Florida.
  • Athletics Program Support: A grant to provide the women’s basketball and volleyball teams with new warm-up / shooting shirts to be worn prior to contests. The current apparel is ten plus years old. The athletic department comes to work each day with one goal in mind – to provide the very best athletic experience we can for our student athletes. It is imperative that we not only compete and run our teams professionally, but that we also look the part.

WPN Awards 2019-20

Thanks to the efforts of the 2019–20 members, gifts totaling $33,250 allowed the WPN to surpass its best performance from the previous year. This support, raised amid the 2020 pandemic, permitted the WPN to provide the following grants:

  • Four WPN Leadership Scholarships
  • Biology Equipment Grant: Funding to purchase a -80º freezer and a protein imager used for research conducted by Penn State York faculty and students
  • Women’s Conference Awards to Students: Provide funding for nine students to attend the annual Women’s Conference in Philadelphia – held virtually in November 2020.
  • Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) Competition Grant: Provide funding for PBL students, successfully receiving an invitation to compete nationally, to travel to Anaheim, CA in 2021.
  • Biology Research Grant: Provide funding for biology majors to have a field research experience in the summer of 2021.
  • Digital Story Telling Grant: Provide funding to showcase students, in professional videos, on our website and in social media – to share with others their successes accomplished at Penn State York
  • Staff Advisory Council Grant: Provide funding for training seminars to strengthen the skill sets of our campus staff members, that will ultimately help Penn State York provide exceptional customer service to our students.

WPN Awards 2018–19

Thanks to the efforts for the 2018 – 2019 members, the WPN successfully reached the fourth-year goal of $33,000. With this support, the WPN provided: 

  • Four WPN Leadership Scholarships 
  • Pullo Center Inspiration Grant: A grant to the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (The Pullo Center) for an Inspiration Speaker Program.  This will provide the theatre with funding to bring an inspirational book author to the stage to share their success story with our students and the community. 
  • Robotics Football Team Grant: Funding to build the team (the first such entity in the Penn State University’s footprint) and for the team to travel to their first national competition. 
  • Sports Clinic and Recruiting Grant: Support the coaching staff to attend clinics and provide funding for coaches to travel to meet with prospective student athletes and recruit them to come to Penn State York.   
  • Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) Articulation Scholarship:  Provide scholarships to bridge the financial gap so that HACC students can easily articulate to Penn State York to pursue their baccalaureate degrees.  
  • Women’s Conference Awards to Students: Provide funding for Student Affairs to chaperone and accompany four students to attend the annual Women’s Conference in Philadelphia.

WPN Awards 2017–18

Thanks to the efforts of the 2017–18 members, the WPN successfully reached the third year goal of $31,018. With this support, the WPN provided:

  • A final funding grant for the Nittany Success Center – the renovation and relocation are complete. A WPN legacy will be established with the naming of one of the offices in the new facility.
  • The new Penn State Cares program created and managed by the Student Affair’s Office.
  • The Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Pathways Program – bringing a keynote speaker, Christine McKinley, to the seminar to inspire attendees to choose STEAM careers for their future.
  • Seed money for a new co-ed athletics team: golf.
  • The Connect Ed Program in association with Penn State York’s Lee R. Glatfelter Library.
  • Four WPN Leadership Scholarships.
Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger on stage
 

WPN Awards 2016—17

Thanks to WPN members, the 2016-17 year was a rousing success. The stretch goal of $28,000.00 was reached, and your support absolutely provided a positive impact at the campus. Due to your generosity:

  • Two leadership scholarships were awarded.
  • The Teaching International (TI) program continued its success.
  • Plans to transform and relocate the Nittany Success Center are ongoing and it close to being a reality.
  • The campus established a new relationship with the Center for Human Trafficking and increased academic options within the human development and family studies (HD FS) major.
  • On-site counseling services for students was expanded.
  • Additional support for the women’s softball team was provided.
  • CARE training was provided for faculty.

WPN Awards 2015–16

Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger speaking
 

Thanks to the efforts of the 2015–16 members, the WPN successfully surpassed the first year goal of $20,500. With this support, the WPN provided:

  • Four Leadership Scholarships to Penn State York students
  • A learning center grant to support the renovation and relocation of the Nittany Success Center
  • Sponsorship of a 20th anniversary keynote speaker for the of the STEM Pathways program – Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, retired astronaut, inspired more than 200 seventh grade girls participating in the program to explore future STEM education and career paths
  • Provided the critical seed funding to create a new women’s softball program and hire a coach to start the recruitment process for the team