With the Community Foundation scholarship process now completed, potential scholarship recipients await to hear of their awards. Of the approximately 1,000 students that applied, almost 75% will receive an award, but we rarely hear where these recipients have ended up and what career ambitions they have pursued. Yet, every so often, we do learn of past recipients who are, indeed, having successes and, in some cases, bringing that success back to Chautauqua County.   

 

One such example is Lindsay Erickson of Jamestown. Lindsay graduated from Jamestown High School in 2000 with an honors degree. She spent her first two years of college at Jamestown Community College (JCC), graduating with an associate’s degree in humanities. Upon her graduation from JCC, she completed her bachelor’s degree at SUNY Fredonia, majoring in English-Secondary Education. She is currently working on her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at Gannon University, which she is scheduled to complete this December. Since 2000, Lindsay has received numerous CRCF scholarships to help with her education along the way.

 

In addition to currently completing her Master’s work, Lindsay works full-time at Frewsburg Junior-Senior High School. She was hired at Frewsburg, after graduating from SUNY Fredonia, as a 7^th grade English teacher (she now teaches 8^th and 11^th graders). She is also the advisor to the Frewsburg School student newspaper, known as The Bear Facts. This role allows her to pass on her expertise to those aspiring to careers in journalism and writing. A final involvement of Lindsay’s at Frewsburg is serving on the Principal’s Award for Determination and Effort Committee and the Student Health Committee, both of which demonstrate that Lindsay has the respect of her peers.

 

However, Lindsay’s time does not end with Frewsburg School and her studies, as she is also a figure skating coach for The Skating Academy and Chautauqua Ice at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. This job gives her great pride to serve with an outstanding team of coaches that are successful in the figure skating world, while also involved in the local community. 

 

While Lindsay recounts her figure skating job as one reason for staying in Chautauqua County, her main reason is quite simple, “Chautauqua County is home to me,” stated Lindsay. “I feel fortunate to have received a job right after I finished my undergraduate degree. I work at an amazing school district, and the community is so supportive and encouraging. I also feel Chautauqua County needs people to stay who want to work to improve the community.” 

 

Through her many involvements, Lindsay has certainly “walked the walk,” as she is working to improve the community. While CRCF scholarships are not the reason Lindsay has accomplished these many things, she does note that these scholarships helped her to realize that her hard work at school was being recognized and that the community was there to support her. Now, having come full circle, Lindsay serves on the very scholarship committee at the Community Foundation that awarded her many times throughout her college years. Lindsay’s scholarship committee work will give her the chance to award bright, young individuals with great futures, just as she had been awarded before them. 

 

The Community Foundation takes great pride in seeing scholarship recipients have life success. Lindsay Erickson has definitely had her share of success and will most certainly continue to do so. More importantly, she has brought her skills and talents back to a Chautauqua region that continually needs these growing skills of the younger population. Lindsay has set a fine example for others to follow, and CRCF thanks her for her community contributions.