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A new commitment from Steve and Nancy Sheetz will enhance two signature programs they established at the Penn State Altoona campus.
With the new gift, the Sheetz Fellows Program will be able to expand to include more than 30 students in every entering class by providing additional scholarships and staffing.
An expansion of the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence will accommodate the larger cohort and allow the center to ramp up its events and services for current and aspiring business leaders in the Altoona area. In addition, a newly endowed position, the Steve and Nancy Sheetz Associate Director for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership, will ensure staff capacity to oversee established and emerging initiatives.
The couple's commitment to Penn State Altoona was announced Friday. Funding information was not provided.
"No leaders have done more for our region than the Sheetz family, and we are honored that we can carry forward their family's name and values on our campus," said Penn State Altoona Chancellor and Associate Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses Ron Darbeau.
"By growing both the Sheetz Fellows Program and the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, their gift will allow us to reach even more students and citizens and continue to spark achievement and inspire service in Blair County and beyond," Darbeau said. "Steve and Nancy pour their hearts into our students' success, and it is humbling and remarkable watching them mentor their fellows. Penn State Altoona is honored to call them friends."
Steve and Nancy Sheetz are the most generous donors in Penn State Altoona's history. Steve Sheetz is a 1969 Penn State business management graduate and a longtime leader of Sheetz Inc.
The couple were celebrated at a Feb. 27 event hosted by Darbeau and University President Neeli Bendapudi.
"Nancy and I are profoundly grateful to Altoona and Penn State as the launchpads for our success, and we are glad to offer support to the students and business leaders who are looking to forge their own paths in our region," said Steve Sheetz.
"We also want to ensure that new generations of our own family, including our daughters, Megan Sheetz and Nicole Sheetz Frith, can take pride and play a part in the programs we have helped to create," he said. "We hope that our philanthropy will communicate how deeply we believe in both Penn State Altoona and the surrounding community."
The Sheetz Fellows Program offers mentorship, special programming and financial support to Penn State Altoona students with the capacity to lead and serve in the local community and beyond. The program makes its home at the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, which offers a range of educational and professional opportunities for both students and local citizens.
"Steve and Nancy Sheetz are truly visionary leaders for Penn State Altoona and central Pennsylvania, and we are honored by their continued investment in the future of the campus and the region," Bendapudi said.
The couple's generosity fuels entrepreneurship, drives economic revitalization in Blair County and inspires new generations of leaders to follow in their footsteps, she said, adding they are "ensuring lasting impact in the area and creating new opportunities for student success for years to come."
To date, more than 130 Penn State Altoona students have graduated from the program, which provides scholarships, as well as career development programming and resources, access to leaders in the region and community engagement opportunities.
Each participant must complete 80 hours of community service with organizations, and they are encouraged and supported in gaining international experience. The program is co-located at the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, which also houses the Altoona LaunchBox supported by the Hite Family.
"The Sheetz Fellows Program has transformed and impacted our students' lives, enabling them to discover their passions and strengths while developing the skills necessary for future success," said Donna Bon, the Steve and Nancy Sheetz senior director of entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership at Penn State Altoona. "Thanks to the generosity, vision and support of Steve and Nancy, we are able to offer the students financial support and hands-on learning experiences that foster personal and professional growth. We can also point to the Sheetz family as an example of entrepreneurs and leaders who are investing back in the community."
Both Steve and Nancy Sheetz grew up in Altoona. Steve began his Penn State journey at his hometown Penn State Altoona campus, then known as the Altoona Undergraduate Center, before completing his degree at University Park. He went on to a series of leadership roles at Sheetz Inc. The company headquarters remain in Blair County, and Steve and Nancy Sheetz have taken on many roles in the community, at Penn State Altoona and at the University.
Steve has served as a member of the University's Board of Trustees and has been a member of the Altoona campus' advisory board since 1984.
Steve also chaired several fundraising initiatives on behalf of Penn State Altoona. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1994, the highest recognition Penn State bestows upon its graduates, and in 1999, he was named an Alumni Fellow, the most prestigious honor given by the Penn State Alumni Association.
In 2015, Steve and Nancy were named Penn State Altoona Renaissance Honorees, and they both have served as presidential counselors since 2010.