The Challenge Program has encouraged me to continue doing well in school and to keep volunteering in my community.

Thank you [1st Summit Bank] for this opportunity and this award. This showed me that my efforts in school and in the community has not gone unnoticed.

The Challenge Program gave me the opportunity to showcase my passion for science and engineering. I challenged myself by building my high school’s first CNC machine. From that I learned that perseverance and patience are essential for success.

I thank Progeny Systems for their support of students like myself. It is great to be recognized for academic achievements. I hope to someday pay it forward.

The Challenge Program motivated me to become a more active member of my community as well as volunteering my available time to those in need. Since earning my first scholarship award from The Challenge Program during my Sophomore year of high school, I have set a goal every year to try and surpass my previous year total amount of volunteered hours.

The Challenge Program, Inc. made me realize how important community service is and that you will be recognized for the work that you do. I will be attending Slippery Rock University for biology specialized in pre-medicine. I plan on continuing to give back to the community as I work towards my degree.

This program has showed me to continue to volunteer and has definitely encouraged me to keep working hard in school. I once thought I was underappreciated for all of the activities and events that I help with, but being recognized by The Challenge Program has surely proved me wrong.

The Challenge Program, Inc. helped encourage me to take more advanced and challenging classes in STEM subjects. Taking these classes has helped me realize future career goals. Without The Challenge Program, Inc., I may have never taken these classes and I could still be in the dark about my plans for after high school.

The Challenge Program motivated me to work harder in school and put forth my best efforts.
I have been offered a full-time position as a machinist at Advanced Carbide Grinding as soon as I graduate high school.

The Challenge Program made me realize that doing a little bit in something that I would normally not do, still has dividends in life. I started becoming more involved throughout my school and community.

Leanna earned both her awards as a senior. Since then, she has included these awards on her resume. Perspective employers have congratulated her at every interview. She interned for business sponsors of The Challenge Program, Inc. , such as 1st Summit Bank and Paul Carpenter Capital Advisors. She currently works for Kline Kimlin, a CPA firm. Leanna’s future goal is to become a certified public accountant.

After the kick-off presentation in the fall of 2016, Garrett, took part in a tour with 7 other students interested in an internship opportunity with Williams Energy. He was offered the position. He began at Shamrock Facility where he observed multiple work streams. He has worked with the Maintenance Team and the Compression Team as well as various stations with Operations. In January 2018, Williams hired Garrett.

Cody won a 2017 senior. “It really changed my life and I want to thank The Challenge Program for everything they did for me this year.” He purchased a new computer and is perfecting his videography skills. His goal to have his own studio and create a feature length film.

The award I received last year was included on my college applications, and I believe it helped me to stand out in very qualified applicant pools. I am one of 799 students selected for admission to Princeton University. I can’t thank you enough for believing in me; hopefully I can continue to make the [TCP} program proud.

I cannot thank you enough for the founding of The Challenge Program and caring about the futures of students. I very much appreciate your efforts on my behalf and I cannot thank you enough for your generosity towards the future of my education.

I am really appreciative with everything you have accomplished for making this program a success. I really want to thank you for helping my personal journey. I have used this award to further my plans on opening my own online retail store. Winning this award helped boost my confidence and look forward to do more community service in my area.

I wanted to let you know how much my school and I appreciate what you have done. The Challenge Program motivates students to be the best they can be and it made me into a better person today. Thank you so much for creating this program.

I am humbled and grateful to The Challenge Program for the value it placed on education, citizenship and community service. This is particularly valuable for a generation that needs a reminder of the value of hard work and good character. This award is a blessing to me as I seek to avoid debt for my college education.

I’m so thankful for The Challenge Program. I’m planning on becoming a licensed cosmetologist. With the money award now I can buy items I need to start my career.

This Challenge Program you founded is important and I hope you continue with it because it means you want to help to allow a teenager to go to college and have a future.

Thank you for your benevolence and generosity in providing this award. I am greatly inspired by your charitable actions. I hope to one day be in a position where I too can give back to my community as you do. I am now more motivated than ever before to persist in my scholastic endeavors. This award has inspired me to continue to study hard and work towards my goals.

I am writing to express my gratitude for your generosity to students like me. Without your efforts hundreds of students would not have something to work toward. I have seen it as a way to push myself in order to remain in the top ten of my class, and potentially move closer to number one.

I realized it was time to grow up and begin planning for the future. I asked for help, I completed my school work and I tried my best.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Mr. Perkins, for presenting me with the STEM award. I appreciate your effort as this was my first major award. It has showed me my efforts are being noticed.

When I first heard of the Challenge Program I admit I was skeptical. “Why would someone give free money for no apparent reason?” It was always in the back of my head. The next year I was called down to be told I won! Not one, but two! I was flabbergasted. Thanks to you, college will be so much more affordable in out of pocket costs.

You gave me the extra boost to get it together and step-up to become a better student. You are a big part of why I am graduating and you made me push myself to do something I thought I couldn’t do. I will always be grateful for what you did.

Without this program, many students would not be acknowledged for all of their hard work in both their learning environment as well as the community. I am beyond grateful for this award and I do not know what school districts would do without programs like this.

The thing I most appreciate is that among the awards you give, there is one for improvement. Some of my friends get frustrated by those who win, but my friends are missing the point. EVERYONE needs help, not just the students at the top. I appreciate that you get that.

I received the service award, but it is you and your company that are doing a great service to my generation. You are providing some motivation to exceed the status quo for an age group in which many, sadly, do not realize the importance of hard work and achievement.
Your program has the impact of improving the future of so many. Not only are you inspiring the much needed revitalization of work ethic, but you are providing aid for the financing of our future aspirations.

This year was the first year for The Challenge Program, Inc. [at my school]…I did understand the message. I realized this group of people cared about the future of the students at my school and wanted to challenge us to do the best and be the best we can be. I took that message and ran with it, working hard in all my classes to achieve academic success.

The Challenge Program, Inc. taught me the value of community engagement and collaboration. Being a part of the Challenge Program, Inc. Student Advisory Board taught me how to work with others to achieve big-picture results. I know I would not be here without my stand-out work ethic that I developed while working with The Challenge Program, Inc. in high school.

As a partner in a business that provides healthcare services as well as career and volunteer opportunities in 13 counties, I appreciate the values that The Challenge Program recognizes and rewards. Students who are passionate about things greater than themselves and willing to work hard to achieve their goals are not just good for our company’s future, but they’re good for society’s future. Over the 15 years Quality Life Services has been a TCP sponsor, I have had the blessing of witnessing hundreds of students receive well-deserved awards. I’ve also been the recipient of almost as many thank you cards. It is a truly gratifying endeavor to sponsor this program.

NPC continues to partner with The Challenge Program, Inc. because their mission aligns with our desire to build a bridge between local employment opportunities and the education, experience and character necessary to secure those opportunities. Making the business/education connection is vital in setting up students for success as they embark on the path to their future careers. It’s one of the many ways NPC strives to encourage a strong local community.

Williams fully supports The Challenge Program, Inc.’s mission, and we share commitment to encouraging students to perform their best academically and become active volunteers in the community where they live.

As a five-year sponsor of The Challenge Program, Inc. at Connellsville Area Career & Technology Center, Williams has raised awareness about the types of career opportunities available – especially locally – in engineering and technology.

When we encourage and promote education as a community, we are preparing students for the world of tomorrow, while making our community competitive and relevant.

Our company has supported The Challenge Program, Inc. for five years because of the partnering force of Business and Education coming together to help students with their careers as they enter the workforce and encouraging them to develop solid work habits required in their schooling and future working careers.

Our common objective is to develop a skilled workforce and motivate these young people to achieve their future goals in life.

The #1 Cochran Business Week was a big hit at Steel Center Tech. Students learned a lot about #1 Cochran and the automobile industry, while competing for prizes. Above all, they gained knowledge of the many career opportunities available to them at #1 Cochran. It was both fun and educational.”

As the superintendent of the Brownsville Area School District, I can attest to the fact that The Challenge Program has been a very successful and positive program for our students and staff. The partnerships that have been established with local businesses has produced many real-life opportunities for our students. The willingness of The Challenge Program to bring the local business owners into our school to support the instruction and learning environment is truly remarkable. This is a program that puts kids first and gives a district like ours another layer of support.

The Challenge Program has helped our students through the partnerships that they have developed. It has allowed us to provide valuable hands-on learning experiences that are practical and relevant to them.

The Challenge Program has provided a rich opportunity for our school to shine a light on outstanding achievement, while also highlighting the importance of attendance and community service. We are proud to work with our sponsor M & T Bank. M & T Bank’s involvement in our school has increased due to our partnership through the Challenge Program.

I know for a fact that student motivation has increased in the area of Achievement, Improvement, STEM, Attendance, and Community Service. I love being able to celebrate student academic improvement. This category allows our school to highlight an area that does not often receive attention.

As a first-year educator, I am so impressed by the workforce connections The Challenge Program, Inc. provides my students. Our business partner, Williams Energy, gave my students a tour of one of their compressor stations and discussed job opportunities within the company. The highlight of our partnership with The Challenge Program, Inc. and Williams Energy was the 8-week, paid internship Williams Energy awarded one of our students. After a rigorous interview process, one lucky student was selected for the internship. I am proud to report that as of December 2017, that student has been hired full-time at Williams Energy as an Operations Technician. As a result of the workforce connections made possible by The Challenge Program, Inc. and the generosity of our business partner, Williams Energy, this student now has a promising career with one of Forbes America’s Best Employers.

Thank you for coming. I really love the category of Academic Improvement. Both of our recipients were so honored. They were excited that the changes they have made are gaining the attention of others. Both have had multiple barriers that they are trying to overcome and the positive support will aid in that process.

The generous contribution through Jendoco [Construction Company] in conjunction with The Challenge Program, has made this ceremony a worthwhile community event. We look forward to a continued partnership in the years ahead.

The Challenge Program is a win-win endeavor that provides a chance of rewards to all students regardless of their economic status or academic abilities. Every student can be a winner!

The Challenge Program, Inc., is a wonderful vehicle for both schools and businesses to help bridge the gap between education and the future workforce, our students.

The resulting partnership motivates and engages students in a meaningful way for them to strive for continual improvement to reach their ultimate career goals.

Thank you for coordinating The Challenge Program for the students of the class of 2016 at Williamsburg High School. Many of our students work hard to be eligible to win these awards. I am looking forward to working with you during 2016/17 school year.

The Challenge Program has worked extremely well at our school. They have provided opportunities for our students that otherwise were unable. Students who have won the awards have talked about how this allowed them to apply to more than one college or to pay for the first semester of books. Maria Campieri (TCP representative) helped with our College and Career Day, by coordinating speakers from Range Resources to be on a panel for us.