Nursing student one of eight to receive $1,000 scholarship for excellence in community service

Rachel Saeler, a junior nursing student at Waynesburg University, was recently selected to receive a $1,000 Commonwealth Good Citizen Scholarship provided by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP). Her selection was a result of her commitment to community service.

The Commonwealth Good Citizen Scholarship was created through an endowment given to the Association and is an attempt to say thank you to students who have made a commitment to community service. There are a total of 87 schools that are accredited institutions of AICUP, and each school may only submit one application. Saeler is one of only eight recipients to receive the scholarship. Forty students applied from across the state of Pennsylvania.

One of Saeler’s professors recommended that she apply for the scholarship after hearing about her efforts to organize a fundraiser for the Waynesburg families affected by a fatal fire in January 2010.

According to Don Francis, President of AICUP, the scholarship is extremely competitive. While community service is the focus of the scholarship, applicants’ extracurricular and academic achievements are also taken into consideration.

“Our selection committee reviews the resumes and activities of each student, and each must be engaged in community service,” Francis said. “These are pretty remarkable students; students that are committed to their communities.”

Saeler is grateful for the scholarship and said it will help her to continue her journey to become a registered nurse.

“Someday as a nurse I will be able to use the education I receive from Waynesburg University to educate others, specifically my patients,” she said. “This scholarship is not only beneficial to me now, but it will continue to benefit others in my future career as a nurse.”

Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three adult centers located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and is one of only 27 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.

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Released July 14, 2010 
Contact: Pam Cunningham, Assistant Director of University Relations
724.852.3384 or pcunning@waynesburg.edu