First Osaze Osagie Scholarships Awarded to State High Seniors

Three State College Area High School seniors who will be receiving their diplomas on Friday night will also be the inaugural recipients of a scholarship program created in memory of Osaze Osagie.

The Osaze Osagie Scholarship Endowment Committee awarded a $5,000 scholarship to Elana Laing, while Catherine Wang and Jashaun Green each received $500.

Named in honor of Osagie, the 29-year-old State College man who was fatally shot during a confrontation with borough police who had come to his home on March 20, 2019 to serve a mental health warrant, the endowment “is meant to perpetuate his spirit of volunteerism and giving,” according to the committee by awarding scholarships to racially underrepresented high school students in State College with a commitment to community service.

“I plan to serve my community humbly and creatively as I pursue my degree at Penn State,” Laing said in a statement. “As I reflect on my volunteerism, I observe how the life of Osaze was spent in service and in knowledge seeking to bring him closer to his goals. I hope to do the same.”

She has been a volunteer with Jana Marie Foundation and is actively involved with Calvary and Unity Church community service programs. She served as student government vice president and secretary, establishing middle school mentor programs, and participated in the U.S. Department of Justice SPIRIT program that brings together school community members to identify issues and develop and implement solutions.

Laing plans to study advertising/public relations and Spanish in Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

Wang is active in State College’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American, started a Cultural Celebrations and Event Planning Committee at the high school and is dedicated to supporting marginalized students and fighting anti-Asian discrimination. She will attend the University of Washington.

Green is an active volunteer in support of special needs children and has used his visibility and influence as a State High football captain to bring attention to the cause. He plans to continue his community engagement while he attends Penn State, where he will be a preferred walk-on with the Nittany Lion football team.

Osagie’s parents, Sylvester and Iyun, said each of the recipients represent the devotion to helping their community that their son had.

“Elana, Catherine and Jashaun all exhibit the spirit of service and volunteerism that characterized our son Osaze’s life,” Sylvester Osagie said. “Iyun and I could not think of more worthy recipients whose caring, devotion and service to those in need reflect the principles embodied by our son. The scholarships will help these recipients pursue their educational dreams and opportunities, and, equipped with college degrees, continue their roles as servant leaders dedicated to enriching our communities.  We thank all those donors and supporters who have made this scholarship endowment possible.”

The fundraising campaign for the was publicly launched in August 2021 and in February the committee announced it had surpassed the $100,000 goal.

Contributions can be made to the Osaze Osagie College Scholarship Endowment through Centre Foundation.

Members of the endowment committee include Rich Bundy, Mimi Barash Coppersmith, Felisa Preciado Higgins, Nalini Krishnankutty, Lawrence Lokman, Ezra Nanes, Sylvester and Iyun Osagie, Rija Sabeeh, Lorraine Jones and Charima Young.