In celebration of Black History Month, six Black college students in Mahoning County were awarded scholarships to help further their education. During a recent meeting, the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board presented financial support to these students, awarding $1,000 scholarships to four of them and $500 scholarships to two others. The initiative was carried out in collaboration with the Youngstown Chapter of the Links Incorporated.
The recipients of the scholarships are currently pursuing degrees at Youngstown State University (YSU) or Kent State University (KSU), focusing on fields such as social work and mental health. This support aims to boost representation and encourage more Black students to enter these critical fields.
Kelie Turner, a senior majoring in sports exercise psychology at KSU, expressed her gratitude for the scholarship, explaining, “It means a lot to me. A friend of mine stumbled across the scholarship and sent it to me, and honestly, I didn’t expect to win. I applied for a lot of scholarships and they’re very competitive. So, when I got the acceptance email, I was very excited.”
The other five scholarship recipients are students at YSU, where the support from the Mental Health and Recovery Board is helping them pursue careers that will positively impact the mental health and social work sectors.
Ruthie King, president of the Youngstown Chapter of the Links Incorporated, shared her thoughts on the program: “We’re very excited to do this, but it’s humbling because we know without the support of the Mental Health and Recovery Board, we would not have these types of funds and our own treasure to give this. So, for us to be used as a resource to connect with young people like that, it’s a very humbling experience.”
The scholarships are awarded annually, and recipients are eligible to receive the funding multiple times to help further their educational pursuits.
Related Topics:
