DGS Scholarship Support Fund
The DGS Scholarship Support Fund was initiated by gifts from alumni and friends of The University of Akron Strive Toward Excellence Program in honor of longtime program coordinator Deborah Stone. Ms. Stone has run the program for all 25 years of the program’s existence. She has proudly rejoiced with each graduating class and applauds the accomplishments of nearly 600 “Firestone Fellows” who beat all odds and expectations.
Strive Toward Excellence Program (STEP) is an endowed college-preparatory program for seventh- and eighth-grade students from Akron-area schools. In 1988, The Firestone Trust Fund awarded The University of Akron a $3 million gift from which an endowment was established to create The Firestone Fellows Strive Toward Excellence Program, otherwise known as STEP.
Students are inducted into STEP while they are enrolled in the sixth grade and are designated as "Firestone Fellows." They remain in STEP for two years before progressing to the University's Upward Bound Classic or Upward Bound Math and Science program, which assists them throughout high school. Qualified program graduates who attend The University of Akron are awarded Firestone Fellows scholarships.
The DGS Scholarship Support Fund will be funded through ongoing gifts from alumni, family and friends, and other fundraising events of the Strive Toward Excellence Program. Potential candidates who have successfully completed the six-year STEP/TRiO Program must be in good standing and currently enrolled at The University of Akron. Recipients will be selected by the DGS Scholarship Support Committee. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Students interested in an application must contact Deborah G. Stone.
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