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PSECU Awards $48,000 in Scholarships for High School Seniors for the 27th Consecutive Year

PSECU, Pennsylvania’s largest credit union, named the winners of its 27th annual scholarship program. Each year, the program awards six scholarships - valued up to $8,000 each for a total of $48,000 - to graduating high school seniors to help reduce the financial burden of pursuing postsecondary education. Winners are selected based on their academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, and critical thinking and writing skills. 

PSECU’s 2023 Scholarship Winners Pictured, clockwise from top left: Lucas Steinmetz, Marissa Burns, James DiGuiseppe, Victoria Straley, Kyler Mitra, Leila al-Sahli

“Education is a pillar of our community outreach at PSECU. From providing financial education resources through our WalletWorks program and Online Learning Center, to offering scholarships for students to pursue their dreams through college, we understand the importance of education in obtaining financial success,” said PSECU Community Relations Coordinator Karen Rousche, who oversees the credit union’s scholarship program. “Since we started our scholarship program in 1997, we’ve disbursed $798,000 in scholarships to 156 students. That is something we’re very proud of because we know that it has helped young students find opportunity, reach their goals, and prepare for the future.” 


From the more than 450 applications PSECU received through its online application process this year, the following winners were selected: 


PSECU Scholarships 

Leila al-Sahli, Miami Beach Senior High, Surfside, FL Attending Florida State University Marrisa Burns, Twin Valley High School, Birdsboro, PA Attending Carnegie Mellon University Lucas Steinmetz, The Hill School, Gilbertsville, PA Attending Pennsylvania State University  


PSECU Frank J. Breiner Memorial Scholarship 

Kyler Mitra, John Foster Dulles High School, Sugarland, TX Attending University of Texas at Austin 


PSECU Michael A. Gottshall Memorial Scholarship 

Victoria Straley, Elizabethtown Area High School, Elizabethtown, PA Attending SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry 


PSECU John J. Marisic Memorial Scholarship 

James DiGuiseppe, Archbishop Wood High School, Churchville, PA Attending Widener University 


If scholarship requirements, including maintaining a minimum GPA, are met, each winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship per year that is renewable for up to four years, for a total scholarship value of $8,000 per student. 


“Credit unions exist to create shared financial opportunities through members’ collective resources, and this scholarship program is an example of how PSECU does just that,” Rousche added. “On behalf of our members and our employees, congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients!”