Baxters donate $100,000 to establish endowed scholarship at YSU

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University alumni Alan and Sandra Baxter have donated $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship for Youngstown State University students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education or business administration.

“We attribute much of our success to the education that we received at YSU,” said Alan Baxter, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1966 and a master’s degree in education in 1972. “We established this endowed scholarship to assist students in obtaining a quality education from our alma mater.”

“It is special when alumni provide opportunities for students following in their footsteps,” said Paul McFadden, president of the YSU Foundation. “This scholarship exemplifies the life journey of Alan and Sandra. On behalf of the generations of students that will benefit from their generosity, we thank them.”

Alan Baxter grew up in western Pennsylvania and graduated from New Castle High School in Lawrence County, Pa. He taught six years at Girard High School and then became an administrator for the Trumbull County Board of Education. Alan then earned his license as a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner. He embarked on a business career as a tax and financial adviser and is proud to employ three fellow YSU graduates.

Sandra Baxter earned a bachelor’s degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in education in 1971 from YSU. She taught for 33 years in the Austintown schools.

Last year, the Baxters read of other YSU alumni who made provisions in their estate plans for endowed scholarships at the YSU Foundation. Their initial discussions were to make the same provisions, then they decided to establish the scholarship now and see the immediate impact of their philanthropy.

Recipients of the Alan and Sandra Baxter Scholarship must be graduates of a high school located in Lawrence County, Pa., or Mahoning or Trumbull counties in Ohio. The scholarship will be awarded annually to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education or business administration.