Awarding Service

Continuing its historic partnership, the university has announced Patricia Saye and Lauren Toomey as LSU-City Year Scholars. Over the past 8 years, LSU is has given this designation to graduate students who previously served with the AmeriCorps organization. It is part of an agreement signed in 2011, making LSU first public university in the country to formalize a University Partnership with City Year.

“Community engagement and service is at the core of LSU’s mission, “says Brandon Smith, LSU director of community and education partnerships. “Not only does this partnership reinforce that but it also gives students the opportunity to continue their education.” 

According to its website, City Year is an education-focused organization that is dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. Students become ‘corps members’ during their year of service and alumni thereafter. Each year, LSU names two graduate-level scholars, who are tuition award eligible; and application fee awards to all City Year corps members or alums applying to undergraduate or graduate programs at LSU.

Patricia Saye is first-year graduate student in LSU’s School of Education, pursuing a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. A native of Lancaster, PA, Saye returned to Baton Rouge to continue her education, having connected with the community as a corps member with City Year Baton Rouge. <INSERT QUOTE FROM PATRICIA>. Saye also works in the LSU Office of Diversity, serving as a graduate assistant for the President’s Millennial Scholars Program.

 Lauren Toomey, a native of Fort Collins, CO, says that her City Year experience has had an impact on her personal life. “[It] was the most humbling experience of my life; for as much as I gave to my students, they gave to me so much more,” Toomey says. “I didn’t quite realize how much those students changed my world until the year came to a close.”  Toomey served as a corps member in San Jose, CA.

She is also first-year graduate student in the LSU School of Education, pursuing a Master’s degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education Administration. Toomey is a graduate assistant with the LSU Office of Community University Partnerships.

To learn more about LSU’s partnership with City Year, visit www.lsu.edu/cityyear.   If you are interested in joining the City Year corps, visit www.cityyear.org.