Abbey Chance

I am a proud member of the Young Leaders Society – a division of the United Way of Greater Stark County for young professionals that focuses on educating, engaging and inspiring students in our community. We work hard to help students plan for their next step, whether it be college or career, and make sure they have the mentorship they need to be successful. I joined last fall after meeting the co-chair of the society during my Leadership Stark County Spotlight Program.

This year, I served as a member of the Textbook Scholarship Committee, which provides renewable scholarships to students to help cover the costs of books for college – an expense that usually isn’t covered by academic scholarships. I worked with the rest of the committee to review scholarship applications and select finalists to be reviewed by the Leadership Committee. The Young Leaders Society awarded two renewable $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who will be first-generation college students. The two recipients were announced last month and will be honored with a breakfast celebration where the committee will get to meet the recipients.

The Young Leaders Society provides great opportunities for young professionals to have an impact in the lives of students. As young professionals, it wasn’t long ago we were standing where these current students are, looking at our futures with both excitement and fear. Young Leaders Society is an important segment of United Way that provides a bridge for young professionals to not only have an impact but also learn how to become the next generation of leaders in our community.