The Community Foundation makes scholarship awards to nearly 1,000 students on an annual basis. While the Foundation considers each of these recipients part of the CRCF family, many of them move on to new lives. However, there is always a small group that stays in touch with the Foundation staff and informs us of their life successes. When provided the opportunity, the Foundation likes to share these success stories so that the community can see the quality, young individuals coming from this community.

 

One such individual that has been close to the Community Foundation for many years is Tyler Hanson of Jamestown. Tyler graduated from Jamestown High School in 2005 and is now attending St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. While Tyler is an undeclared major, he is thoroughly capitalizing on all the educational and recreational experiences that higher education has to offer. 

 

On the academic side, Tyler has immersed himself into a wide array of disciplines including courses in calculus, music, language, economics, international politics, psychology, and a number of writing classes. 

 

If his class schedule did not keep him busy enough, his extracurricular activities certainly could. Some of the different activities he has participated in include: Men’s crew (rowing), student government, club hockey, playing the French horn in a wind ensemble, and participating in SLU-Buddies, which is a volunteer program that allows him to spend an hour a week with an elementary student at a local public school. 

 

Tyler’s outgoing nature is something that was seen at the Community Foundation, first-hand, as he was part of CRCF’s Community Conscious Youth (CCY) during his four years at Jamestown High School. The CCY is a youth council affiliated with CRCF that performs community services in Chautauqua County and also reviews and awards the Community Foundation’s Kids First Mini-Grants. While a junior and senior at Jamestown High School, Tyler served as the CCY secretary. 

 

Of his experiences with the CCY, Tyler stated, “The fact that we were able to impact our community in very direct ways opened my eyes to the world of volunteering. Involvement in community events and the grant process allowed me to realize how much difference a handful of people could make.”  

 

Upon his graduation from Jamestown High School and consequently his leaving the CCY, Tyler received two Community Foundation scholarships to assist him in his studies at St. Lawrence University, based on his strong academic performance in high school. Tyler acknowledges that both scholarships made an impact in helping with his college educational costs. 

 

Tyler will declare his major by the end of this year (sophomore year), and he foresees graduate school in his future plans. But, for the moment, he is enjoying the ride, from learning, to volunteering, to being involved in every way he can. Additionally, the time he spent with the Community Foundation has not been lost on him. Tyler concluded, “It was great to receive scholarships from CRCF, which also assists many of my friends. But it was also very humbling to be part of an organization that is greater than oneself.”

 

As with all Community Foundation scholarship recipients, Tyler Hanson certainly has a very bright future. As time moves on, it is the Foundation’s hope that we hear of more stories similar to Tyler Hanson’s and the contributions that are being made locally and elsewhere. No matter what your story of success might be, give the Foundation a call at 661-3390…we would love to hear it!