The Youngstown State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is pleased to announce the creation of the The Shipka Scholarship endowed by Dr. Tom and Katie Shipka to enhance the YSU Athletics Scholarship Endowment Fund.
The Shipka Scholarship was established in 2015 in support of a Youngstown State University student-athlete. Dr. Shipka taught at YSU for 46 years, inspiring and mentoring generations of student-athletes. Impressively, Shipka taught more than 13,000 students during his career as a YSU professor. This scholarship embodies Dr. Shipka’s dedication to the pursuit of excellence.
Sophie McFarland, a member of the YSU soccer teams is the first recipient. McFarland is a sophomore from Brownsburg, Ind., who is majoring in Nursing at YSU.
This scholarship endowment is something that Dr. Shipka and his wife are happy to establish at Youngstown State. Katie, and his children, Anne Louise White and Andrew are all YSU graduates.
“Having taught for 49 years at the college level, including 46 at Youngstown State University, I learned over the years that many of our most serious and successful students, male and female, are student-athletes, and Kate and I are honored to support them,” Shipka said.
Shipka has been one of the biggest supporters of YSU athletics since he became a member of the school's faculty. Shipka, who has been the Master of Ceremonies for all of the Hall of Fame Inductions since 1990, was inducted as a Contributor to the YSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
Paul McFadden, President of the YSU Foundation, said that Dr. Shipka and Katie, have influenced the lives of many students and student-athletes throughout their many years in the Youngstown community.
“Dr. Shipka has had an impact on many students and student-athletes during his tenure at YSU,” McFadden said. “His passion for education is something that has played a major role in the success of our great university. We are thrilled to have him endow an Athletic Scholarship.”
For more information, or to endow an athletic scholarship at Youngstown State University, contact the YSU Foundation at (330) 941-3211 or Dan Kopp via email dkopp@ysufoundation.org
