Campus Staff Advisory Council seeks support for ‘Fuel for the Future’ fund

Three students sit on the ground in front of the Penn State Shenango sign
Credit: Penn State

SHARON, Pa. — The Penn State Shenango Staff Advisory Council (SAC) hosts a fundraising event throughout the month of February to support its "Fuel for the Future" fund.

The Fuel for the Future program launched in 2016 with the goal of alleviating the financial burden faced by Shenango students entering an unpaid internship or clinical rotation. Students selected for the program are given a fuel card to assist with the transportation costs associated with their off-campus experiences. To date, more than $12,000 has gone to students in need.

“I’m at my internship five days a week, and I need to complete a total of 300 hours by the end of April,” said Emily Filicky, a senior business major interning at the LindenPointe Development Corporation in Hermitage. “My work hours were reduced to accommodate my internship schedule, leading to a decrease in my income. The Fuel for the Future program has been a huge help in saving money, making it more manageable for me to cover my transportation costs during this busy time.”

In order to be selected for the program, students must fill out an online application, and decisions are made based on financial need, the distance the student will travel and the number of hours required to complete the internship or clinical rotation.

Senior human development and family studies major Abby Hodge said she has also reduced her time spent at other jobs in order to complete her internship experience at Brookfield Elementary School in Brookfield, Ohio.

"In receiving assistance from the Fuel for the Future program," she said, "I have been able to focus less on the financial burdens it can bring and more on getting the most out of my experience!”

The fundraiser begins on Saturday, Feb. 1, and runs the entire month, ending at noon on Saturday, March 1. Visit the fundraiser webpage to learn more about giving to the Fuel for the Future fund.

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