Students in Youngstown State University's (YSU's) Sokolov Honor's College presented a $10,000 check to the United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley Tuesday afternoon.

This comes after fundraising efforts during the previous semester where funds were raised through efforts connected with the Intro to Honors class and projects led by the Honors Trustees student organization.

Those projects included bake sales, basket raffles, making jewelry and partnering with local restaurants to hold specific fundraising events.

Additional funds were raised by Honors trustees through projects like the YSU driveway fundraiser, in which students painted Pete the Penguin or the YSU "Y" logo on driveways within 30 miles of campus.

"Through the efforts of all these students, they learned about the value of how giving back can make a difference to the agencies associated with United Way. They gained leadership and teamwork experience along with understanding the value of philanthropic efforts," said Honors Dean and Associate Provost Amy Cossentino.