Our Alumni

alumni receive cityscape honor

YSU alumni have been chosen to receive the 2022 David and Pat Sweet Grass Roots Award, honoring more than two decades of helping beautify downtown Youngstown as part of Youngstown CityScape’s annual Streetscape Day initiative. “Our alumni engage in the Streetscape project as representatives of Youngstown State University, demonstrating the important partnership between the university and the city,” said Heather Belgin, YSU associate director of Alumni and Events. “They look forward to being part of Cityscape’s remarkable beautification efforts each year.” Since 2005, hundreds of YSU alumni, friends and family members have volunteered countless hours to help spruce-up the downtown region, mulching and planting flowers along West Federal Street and up Fifth Avenue near the Madison Avenue Expressway, as well as the hillside below Choffin Career Center. The annual event attracts about 50 alumni on average per year, adding to the event’s 600+ volunteers. Read more.

New LGBTQ+ Alumni Chapter launches Student Emergency Fund

The new LGBTQ+ Alumni Chapter at YSU, which has grown to more than 100 members since its founding just a little more than a year ago, has launched the LGBTQ+ Student Emergency Fund, aimed at fostering equity for YSU students that identify as LGBTQ and are experiencing financial hardships. To donate, visit this site, select “other”, and then type LGBTQ Emergency Fund to ensure your donation is allocated properly, or send donations to the YSU Foundation, 655 Wick Ave., Youngstown, OH 44502, with memo “LGBTQ+ Emergency Fund”. “The alumni group has been gathering support with each month we are together," said Cathy Lucas, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from YSU in 2001 and is one of the leaders of the new chapter. "It’s been a privilege to hear stories of YSU LGBTQ+ alumni who graduated before me, and wonderful to see the progress of younger graduates who are able to embrace legal rights that we did not have access to not long ago.” Read more.  

Pete’s Pride Postcard Writing Campaign 

Would you like to give back through personal outreach to students who are planning their futures? Sign up for the Pete’s Pride postcard writing campaign. You’ll have an impact on YSU’s student recruitment efforts at your convenience from the comfort of home. Contact Brittany Defibaugh, Alumni Engagement coordinator, at bldefibaugh@ysu.edu or 330-941-7170. More information here.

ALUMNI LEGACY SCHOLARSHIPS

YSU has a rich tradition of family attendance and graduation. The legacy of a child following in the footsteps of a parent/guardian toward attaining a degree from the same alma mater is indeed a cherished tradition.

The Office of Alumni Engagement is proud to offer five $1000 Legacy Scholarships to children of YSU alumni. The application can be downloaded here and must be submitted no later than March 1, 2022. Email alumni@ysu.edu for more information.

Penguins everywhere!

YSU alumni are everywhere. Update your contact information to be added to the chapter email list near you. For more information, contact Heather Belgin, associate director of Alumni and Events, at habelgin@ysu.edu or 330-941-1591.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT VIDEOS

The YSU Office of Alumni Engagement is releasing a series of Alumni Spotlight videos featuring interesting graduates doing interesting things in interesting places around the world. Watch the videos and stay tuned for more on Alumni Engagement’s new website or on AE’s Facebook page.

Here are the videos so far:

Angel Rivera, bachelor of Fashion Merchandising, 2003

Angel Rivera is a bridal gown designer and owner of Angel Rivera Couture. After earning his YSU degree, Rivera moved to New York and worked with the industry’s top fashion houses, including the world-famous Kleinfeld. He also continued his studies in pattern making at the Parsons School of Design. “A wedding dress is the most important garment a woman will ever wear, and one that she will always remember and treasure,” he says.

William Hartman, bachelor in Mechanical Engineering, 1964.

William Hartman, who also holds a master’s degree in Industrial Administration from the University of Michigan, is now president and chief executive of Halberd Corp., whose patented extracorporeal treatment is applicable to many hard-to-cure blood-borne and neurologic diseases, including Covid-19, other viruses, PTSD, cancer, etc. Hartman previously held executive leadership positions with Premier Biomedical and Nanologix, as well as TRW Automotive. He also was manager of Quality at Ford Motor Co., Transmission and Chassis Division, overseeing eight domestic production plants and three plans in Europe and Asia. At TRW, he founded and headed a separate business group with plants in the United States, Mexico and Europe with combined annual sales of $1.3 billion.

Heather Moran, bachelor of Biology, 1993

Heather Moran teaches Advanced Biology at Boardman High School. Moran, who has taught Biology and Environmental Science in public schools for more than 25 years, was named Environmental Teacher of the Year by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation in 2020. She has led student groups to study science in Iceland, the Bahamas and across the United States.

Noëlly Longi Nsimba, bachelor degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, 2018

Noëlly Longi Nsimba had an amazing tennis career at YSU and professionally, which led to travel all over the world. Now she’s working on her first jazz album and is auditioning for “The Voice UK.” 

Steve Bartolin, bachelor in Business Administration, 1975

Steve Bartolin is chairman of the Broadmoor Resort Hotel in Colorado Springs, Col., and president of the Broadmoor Sea Island Co. The Broadmoor is the longest-running 5-star resort in America.

Dexter Caffey, bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, 1995

Dexter Caffey founded an alternative investment firm in 1998 at the age of 25, and for the past 20 years has been working with major publicly traded U.S. companies through his firm, Caffey Investment Group. Caffey now lives in Atlanta, is a volunteer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the non-profit organization Conexx, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce. He also is a board member of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust.