YSU Foundation hosts its first 'Gratitude Day' for scholarship recipients to meet donors in person

The Youngstown State University Foundation hosted its very first "Gratitude Day" event Thursday evening where scholarship recipients got to meet the donors who funded those scholarships in person.

YSU Foundation President Paul McFadden tells 21 News over $11.5 million in scholarship money will be awarded to students thanks to the university's donors. 

"The number one thing we hear from our donors is, 'we'd like to meet our students.' So today is gratitude day where we're matching up our students and our donors so they have a chance to get to know each other," McFadden said.

In addition to Gratitude Day, McFadden says students who receive scholarship money are required to write a thank you letter to their donors.

"I think that's a life lesson that someone's supporting and you need to reach out to them and tell them you appreciate them," McFadden said.

McFadden says the YSU Foundation intends to make Gratitude Day an annual event. In 2023, a similar event was done for each of YSU's six colleges, but it has now been condensed to one event for all colleges.