SRU awards scholarships to inaugural class of Butler County Youth Leadership Program

Members of the Butler County Youth Leadership Program were offered $1,000 scholarships to attend Slippery Rock University. Members of last year’s Leadership Butler County class, which included Kelly Bailey, SRU director of alumni engagement, created the program.

May 17, 2018

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - High school juniors who graduated from a leadership development program sponsored by a Butler County Chamber of Commerce affiliate were recently offered scholarships to attend Slippery Rock University.

Twenty-nine students from seven Butler County high schools who made up the inaugural class of the Butler County Youth Leadership Program were each offered $1,000 scholarships, should they choose to attend SRU. The BCYLP, which teaches students leadership, teamwork and entrepreneurship, was created by last year's 25-member class of Leadership Butler County, the BCCC's nine-month program for professionals gaining exposure to issues, resources and opportunities for the Butler County community.

   BAILEY

"We already made the decision to live or work in Butler County and we wanted to share that knowledge of our community with area high school students," said Kelly Bailey, SRU director of alumni engagement, who was part of the LBC Class of 2017 and continues to serve on the board of directors for BCYLP. "There are many opportunities for education and employment in Butler County and we wanted to highlight them to high school students as a way to enhance their future and the future of the county."

In addition to providing scholarships, SRU hosted one of four daylong sessions, during which students participated in team building, leadership and personal dynamics exercises at the University's Leadership Development Center last October. BCYLP's curriculum also included three other days in November, March and April, with students having the opportunity to meet with government, organization and business leaders from Butler County.

Michael May, SRU director of undergraduate admissions, surprised the students with the scholarship offers at the BCYLP graduation ceremony, May 8, at Butler County Community College.

According to Bailey, board members for BCYLP have raised enough money to continue the program the next two years and all high schools in Butler County have expressed interest in participating next year.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu