F O U N D AT I O N S F O R S U C C E S S Visionary supporters are helping undergraduates to thrive at Penn State and beyond.
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THE OVERLY SCHOLARS PROGRAM “We simply would not be where we are today without a solid education,” says Donna Overly about the paths that have taken her and her husband, Steven Overly, from their hometown of Hanover, Pennsylvania, to lives of professional success, international travel, and now leadership philanthropy, through their estate commitment to create the Overly Scholars Program. Their $7.3 million gift will endow full in-state tuition scholarships for high-achieving students in both the Schreyer Honors College and at Penn State Harrisburg, where Steven earned a master of public administration degree. He went on to two law degrees and a career in leadership roles for companies including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, American Casino & Entertainment Properties, and Textron. Donna’s first career was as a nurse, primarily in critical care. In 2005, she received her bachelor’s degree in studio art from the University of Texas at Austin. Today, she is both a painter and a published novelist. The couple has never forgotten their Pennsylvania roots and the challenges they faced in paying for their own educations. First preference for the Penn State Harrisburg program will be given to students from Adams and York Counties, where Steven and Donna were raised, while first preference for the Schreyer Honors College scholarships will be given to students from Westmoreland County, where Steven’s father and aunts and uncles grew up before going to Penn State themselves. Steven and Donna hope that through the in-state tuition scholarships, Overly Scholars will be able to take full advantage of opportunities like leadership development, international study, and service learning. “We know that the cost of a college education can prevent students from reaching their personal potential,” says Steven Overly. “We want to remove that barrier for students so they can focus on their academic achievement first and foremost, and then to give them some extra experiences that will build their character and help them to become engaged citizens and leaders.”
Students at Penn State Harrisburg’s Globe Fountain
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