‘Y and Proud’ reflects the new attitude sweeping YSU, Valley

A reporter from a prominent national newspaper was in town over the last couple of weeks, researching and gearing up for the next great story about a once-proud-steel-town-struggling-to-find-its-way-in-this-new-21st-Century-economy.

No matter what we do to change the narrative, for many people outside the region, our story seems to always lead with “once proud.”

At Youngstown State University, where this past week we started our 109th academic year of service to the greater Northeast Ohio community, we are committed to removing the word “once.”

A few months ago, we took on the motto, “Y and Proud.” It’s a marketing effort to spread the word about the pride we hold in our successful alumni, outstanding faculty, talented staff, committed supporters and a community and city to which we are inextricably linked.

But it runs much deeper than a marketing slogan. This past week, we welcomed more than 3,200 new students to campus, including 2,193 freshmen and 250 transfer students from other four-year institutions. We have freshmen from nearly 460 high schools in 51 Ohio counties and 23 states. As a whole, they have the highest standardized tests scores and high school grade- point averages of any entering freshmen class in YSU’s history.

We want them to be proud to be part of the YSU family. We have stepped up our efforts to engage students and connect them to campus through student organizations and other means. More students are living on campus; our residence halls are at capacity. We are developing more internship and study-abroad opportunities for students. And we are committed to increasing the number of student workers.

All of these – living on campus, getting involved, having a campus job, working an internship – are key elements to the most important part of the college experience: succeeding in the classroom, graduating on time, getting a job and starting a career. And it all leads to alumni who are, in fact, “Y and Proud.”

This past week, a teenage freshman approached one of our staff members and asked for directions to Beeghly Center. She had parked on the opposite side of campus and was finding it difficult to maneuver through the campus, especially given the ongoing road construction. The staffer helped her find her way and wished her well. “Thanks,” the student said. “I love it here.”

That’s our narrative – bringing young people to YSU, helping them succeed and putting them on the path to reaching their goals. “Once proud” no more. “Y and Proud,” forever.

James P. Tressel is president of Youngstown State University.