New YSU Honors College initiative making "a genuine difference"

Eleven students in the Youngstown State University Honors College have volunteered  nearly 50 hours tutoring students from area middle and high schools this year through the new Honors Helping Future Scholars program.
 
“I am so grateful to the Honors College for giving me the opportunity to reach out and make a genuine difference in the lives of not only my peers but also the scholars of tomorrow,” said Taylor Sebastiano, YSU Honors College freshman. 

“Education is such an important investment in one's future, so being able to have a first-hand impact on the education of those who need assistance is so motivating.” 

The program, open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, currently serves 44 students at Valley Christian and New Castle schools. The Honors College will begin accepting applications for fall tutoring sometime this summer.
 
“We are constantly exploring new ways for our students to become engaged in the community in mutually beneficial ways,” said Amy Cossentino, Honors College dean. “This is just another example of an instance where we listened, identified a need of the community, and students sprang to action to contribute.”

Led by a team of YSU Honors College freshmen, including Sebastiano, Biology/PreMed; Bronson DeAngelo, Biology/PreMed; Joseph Lasher, Music Education; Taylor Sebastiano, Biology/PreMed; and Anthony Testa, Middle Child Education, the program is entirely student run with Honors College support.

The student leadership team coordinates the schedule for tutoring sessions and moderates the sessions, which are held four evenings a week on WebEx. 

"The program has allowed me to find a way in these unknown times to help those who need it most,” DeAngelo said. “It has granted me skills I will be able to use in the future as a leader, organizer and volunteer.”

Students in the YSU Honors College regularly serve the community in a variety of ways, amassing approximately 60,000 hours of volunteer service annually. During the pandemic, some students have embraced virtual volunteer opportunities, such as transcribing, virtual tutoring and storytelling, while others have found ways to safely volunteer in person following Covid-19 protocols.