Sandy Rettger Memorial Freshman Funds Scholarship Program
The San Francisco Chapter awards a $1,000 stipend to a local high school graduate who has selected Penn State for their college education. Winners are selected based on a short essay highlighting why they chose Penn State. A call for entries goes out to all students committed to Penn State in June and essays must be submitted by the end of July. The stipend is awarded in August prior to the start of the academic year.
Chapter Scholarship Recipients
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Our scholarship funds come solely from the generous donations of our local chapter members. Below is a PayPal form for any donation in increments of $20. If you prefer to donate by mail or would like to donate another amounts to the San Francisco Chapter Sandy Rettger Memorial Freshman Fund Scholarship contact Tom Paradiso, '80. Thank you for your generosity and support.
We congratulate this year’s scholarship recipient, Otis Lyons. Otis will be studying sports journalism with the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at the Bellisario College of Communications at University Park. According to Lyons, "When people ask me where I would be attending college in the fall, they were often shocked at my answer. They often question the winter weather, the distance from home, the lack of beach life, etc. However, the wealth of opportunities available at Penn State was too good to pass up. As a Nittany Lion, I know that I can pursue my academic, athletic, and social goals to the best of my ability."
Lyons is the 14th recipient of the Sandy Rettger Freshman Funds Scholarship Program provided by the San Francisco CHapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. We are proud to continue to provide scholarship funding through chapter support and alumni donations made throughout the year.
"I am grateful for the PSU Alumni Association for the financial support, and for the San Francisco Chapter for being so welcoming," said Lyons. "I believe that the Alumni Association played a big part in bringing the NorCal community together here at PSU." Otis Lyons
Lyons is the 14th recipient of the Sandy Rettger Freshman Funds Scholarship Program provided by the San Francisco CHapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. We are proud to continue to provide scholarship funding through chapter support and alumni donations made throughout the year.
"I am grateful for the PSU Alumni Association for the financial support, and for the San Francisco Chapter for being so welcoming," said Lyons. "I believe that the Alumni Association played a big part in bringing the NorCal community together here at PSU." Otis Lyons
Congratulations to Nick Hardwick, this year's winner of our local Chapter scholarship program! Nick will be pursuing a degree in Computer Science in the College of Engineering at University Park. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to an incoming freshman from the Bay Area to apply towards tuition, fees, and travel expenses.
A short excerpt of Nick's essay follows:
A short excerpt of Nick's essay follows:
"My feelings were only strengthened by the great first impression that I received during my Accepted Students Program. I was blown away by the emphasis on internships and job skills that the university made important, and even more impressed at the expansive alumni network that I would shortly be apart of. I was confident that I had finally found a school that I would be happy with spending the next four most important years of my life. Sure, it is far away from home. I will have to start over and make new friends. And, probably the most disconcerting fact: there will be snow during the winter. But I am confident in my decision and excited, glad, and ready to call the Pennsylvania State University my home for the next four years."
A Big Thanks!
Bay Area alumna and scholarship recipient, Ashley Conner '12, shares her story about the difference a scholarship can make.
In 2010, I was honored to receive a $2,000 scholarship award from the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. At the time I applied for the scholarship, my family faced the financial burden of loans from my brother’s undergraduate degree, the cost of my parents’ master’s programs, and my out-of-state tuition at Penn State. My father had just lost his job and, shortly after I was selected as recipient, my mom was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. As you can imagine, our financial situation became increasingly more strenuous. With the weight of our financial commitments resting on my shoulders, I struggled with the decision to return to Penn State for the fall semester. The money I received from the scholarship granted my family greater comfort for me to continue my education.
I look back on my experience at Penn State and feel truly blessed. The Penn State community, both during my time as a student and now as an alumna, has been the most supportive and encouraging community I could ever imagined. My gratitude extends to all of the Penn State alumni, faculty, staff, and students who made my college experience unparalleled. It is hard to imagine the impact you have on people’s lives until you hear their first-hand account of the difference you have made.
The generosity of the Penn State alumni community is so admirable. Having been on the receiving end of such kindness, I am inspired to contribute to future scholarship funds in support of my Alma mater. There are many students who, on paper, may not appear to need financial assistance, but could greatly benefit from support in funding their education. This scholarship made a huge difference in my Penn State experience and I will be forever grateful.
Below are emails sent to former chapter president Tom Paradiso, '80, from the 2009-2010 winner Amy Malmquist and 2012-2013 winner Haley Nelson (respectively):
In 2010, I was honored to receive a $2,000 scholarship award from the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. At the time I applied for the scholarship, my family faced the financial burden of loans from my brother’s undergraduate degree, the cost of my parents’ master’s programs, and my out-of-state tuition at Penn State. My father had just lost his job and, shortly after I was selected as recipient, my mom was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. As you can imagine, our financial situation became increasingly more strenuous. With the weight of our financial commitments resting on my shoulders, I struggled with the decision to return to Penn State for the fall semester. The money I received from the scholarship granted my family greater comfort for me to continue my education.
I look back on my experience at Penn State and feel truly blessed. The Penn State community, both during my time as a student and now as an alumna, has been the most supportive and encouraging community I could ever imagined. My gratitude extends to all of the Penn State alumni, faculty, staff, and students who made my college experience unparalleled. It is hard to imagine the impact you have on people’s lives until you hear their first-hand account of the difference you have made.
The generosity of the Penn State alumni community is so admirable. Having been on the receiving end of such kindness, I am inspired to contribute to future scholarship funds in support of my Alma mater. There are many students who, on paper, may not appear to need financial assistance, but could greatly benefit from support in funding their education. This scholarship made a huge difference in my Penn State experience and I will be forever grateful.
Below are emails sent to former chapter president Tom Paradiso, '80, from the 2009-2010 winner Amy Malmquist and 2012-2013 winner Haley Nelson (respectively):
Dear Mr. Paradiso,
Last fall your organization gave me a scholarship to go to Penn State. I have been meaning to write you and tell you how amazing my year has been. Since arriving back to the Bay Area for summer I have been anxiously counting down the days until I return to my new home in Happy Valley, Pa. Don't get me wrong, I love living in Marin, buy my freshman year at Penn State has irrevocably changed me for the better. I want to thank you again for the generous gift I was given, making the burden of an out-of-state school a little easier on my parents and myself. I hope to be apart of the PSU Bay Area Alumni association in the future! I feel so incredibly lucky to have found the perfect school for me and I'm am just so happy to share it with someone here who is also part of the Penn State family.
Thanks again,
Amy Malmquist
P.S. WE ARE!!!........
Hello Tom,
I'm doing great here at Penn State. I...feel like I truly belong here! The College of Communications has continued to impress me by being helpful and inclusive and by proving to me that they care about my success beyond graduation as well as during my years here as a student. ... I can't believe that my first year at PSU is almost coming to an end, I feel like I just moved in a month ago. ... I am determined to take advantage of every opportunity while I am here! I am very appreciative of the scholarship that you awarded me, it certainly helped to take a little chunk out of the tuition bill.
Haley Nelson