UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For 1980 Penn State graduate, former military service member and longtime attorney Eric Young, supporting the ambitions of those following in his footsteps is a natural priority.
“Service to others is invaluable,” said Young. “Human beings need other human beings in their life, and we’re social creatures.” Through his recent gift to establish the Eric Young Military Law Student Scholarship, he is fulfilling that belief — and providing a focus for other Penn State donors.
“I hope I can be an example of helping us take care of each other, and I made this contribution so those who have used up their G.I. bill, those who have completed their undergraduate degree but want to go on into law school, can maybe go back to the military as attorneys, or be in private practice,” said Young. “This is a way that we can help those veterans continue their careers and give them a taste of Penn State.”
The fund is one of two that will be a priority for Penn State Law in University Park during GivingTuesday, a global day of giving celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving by nonprofit organizations and their supporters to encourage philanthropy and celebrate generosity worldwide. This event kicks off the charitable holiday season, offering a way to give back and to help create impactful experiences for students.
This year, Penn State Law will raise money for two unique funds: the Eric Young Military Law Student Scholarship and the Penn State Law Student Scholarship Support Fund.
The Eric Young Military Law Student Scholarship provides scholarship support for veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are enrolled full time in a program to pursue their Juris Doctorate.
In addition to Young’s initial $50,000 donation to initiate the scholarship, he is offering a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $50,000, to increase the impact toward veteran students at Penn State Law. Any donation made during GivingTuesday will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to the stated limits, truly making an impact in the lives of Penn State Law’s military students.
The Penn State Law Student Scholarship Support Fund provides support to talented and driven students who, without financial support, might not be able to attain a Juris Doctorate. The fund seeks to broaden access to legal education for these exceptional students at Penn State Law, where the focus is to provide students with a legal education that prepares them to lead in an evolving world.
The fund has already made a difference in the lives of many students. Second-year law student Imelsis Tellez Riquelme said, “Being international students, we are unable from accessing federal financial aid, making scholarships indispensable and, particularly, the only resource available for me to achieve my J.D. Scholarships are not important for international students like me, but fundamental for diverse students that want to go to law school. I will be eternally grateful to Penn State Law for offering reasonable financial assistance that allowed me to pursue my legal education in the United States, forever changing my life."
And first-year student Briann Maikisch said, “As a first-generation student, being a recipient of scholarship funds has offered me more opportunities for my future in law. Because of the scholarship funds, I am able to attend a great school that I know will help me excel in my career and beyond.”
The fundraising will begin at 18:55 (the year that Penn State was founded: 6:55 p.m. EST) on Monday, Nov. 28, and will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Nov. 29. Gifts to the Penn State Law Scholarship Support Fund and the Eric Young Military Law Student Scholarship can be made online at the provided links.
With the record-breaking success of “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” which raised $2.2 billion from 2016 to 2022, philanthropy is helping to sustain the University’s mission of education, research and service to communities across the commonwealth and around the globe. Scholarships enable Penn State to open doors and welcome students from every background, support for transformative experiences allows students and faculty to fulfill their vast potential for leadership, and gifts toward discovery and excellence help serve and impact the world. To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, please visit raise.psu.edu.