The York College Community Opportunity Scholarship launched in 1989 to remove barriers that kept talented York City students from pursuing higher education and thriving in adulthood.
On May 7, York College of Pennsylvania celebrated a major milestone in its efforts to provide William Penn Senior High School students with the chance to earn a college degree. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first student graduating from the York College Community Opportunity Scholarship Program (YCCOSP), which began in 1989 but took several years to get up and running.
The goal of the program was to surround York City students with the support, mentorship, and community connections needed to thrive in high school and in higher education.
The College’s celebration brought together alumni and current scholars, donors, community partners, and College leaders to reflect on the program’s legacy, look toward its future, and honor Donald Graham, whose vision and generosity helped bring the YCCOSP to life.
“This milestone represents legacy, impact, and continuous commitment. Personally, it’s a reminder of how many lives have been changed through access to higher education and support,” says Ritamarie Jimenez-Trippett, Director of Student Success Scholarship Programs, including the YCCOSP.
A philanthropist’s inspiration
The scholarship program provides selected students from the School District of the City of York with enrichment and guidance during their high school years, helping them prepare to graduate from William Penn Senior High School with the academic credentials required for admission to York College.
Students receive a tuition-free education and assistance with fees and room and board costs. During their college experience, scholars participate in activities that promote leadership, civic responsibility, and connections to employment opportunities in the region. The program aims to open doors and help students imagine a future they might not have believed to be possible.
Philanthropist and community leader Donald Graham’s inspiration for the program came from watching his sons’ friends traverse young adulthood. After high school, few went on to college, and many faced challenges that interrupted their advancement.
“Don Graham’s vision–and the action that followed that vision–made all the difference in the world to the program and to York College. Don is a shining example of the transformational power of philanthropy,” says Dr. Glenn Miller, Vice President for Advancement.
Graham, who also founded York College’s Graham Center for Collaborative Innovation, envisioned a program that would remove barriers to higher education and eliminate impediments that often stand in the way of advancement, as well as create opportunities for growth.
“I hope it can expand not just in numbers, but expand in the services offered,” Donald Graham said. “Better service, broader service, and therefore provide more leadership for individuals who come into our community and make this a better community to live in for everybody.”
Graham also received the John Andrews Award at the May 7 celebration. The award is presented to individuals who have conducted distinguished careers, made meaningful contributions to the community, and have manifested strong support for the purposes and progress of York College. It is named for the founder of one of the College’s institutional ancestors, the York Academy. The rector of St. John’s Church in the 1770s, Rev. Andrews established the first academic school in York County and later went on to lead the University of Pennsylvania. The Andrews Award expresses the esteem, gratitude, and goodwill of the York College community.
Success beyond the college halls
YCCOSP has grown in size, visibility, and resources, adapting to meet the changing needs of students. Through the decades, its central mission has remained the same.
“It’s the combination of financial support, mentorship, and community,” Jimenez-Trippett says. “YCCOSP doesn’t just help scholars get to college. It walks with them through the journey and beyond the degree, creating a network that lasts well after graduation.”
The impact of YCCOSP can be seen not only in individual students but across the York community. Scholars have become professionals, mentors, and civic-minded leaders. Many remain connected to the region, reinvesting their education and leadership into the place that helped shape them. Many have also returned to York College to serve as mentors to the next generation.
“Bringing alumni, current scholars, partners, and community members together feels like a family reunion that was meaningful, heartfelt, and deeply connected,” Jimenez-Trippett says. “It reflects appreciation for Don Graham and his living legacy in action and shows that YCCOSP is more than a scholarship. It’s a community, a family.”
The May 7 celebration was not only a time for reflection but also a significant fundraising success. The program saw nearly $200,000 in gifts and pledges, along with an additional $200,000 planned estate gift pledge. These contributions directly support the program's ongoing mission to increase resources and opportunities for future scholars.
An impact that continues to grow
As York College celebrates 30 years since the first YCCOSP graduation, the program is focused on increasing the number of scholars and boosting funding, resources, and opportunities. The endeavor that Graham helped to launch in 1989 recently expanded to include a second school. New Oxford Senior High School in Adams County has become part of the program through the support of the J. William Warehime Foundation and two of its board members, Dave Meckley and Oliver Hoar.
That meaningful and measurable growth has been one of Graham’s long-term goals for the program since its inception.
“I hope it can expand and, as I say, expand not just in numbers, but expand in the service offered,” he says.
As the College honors Graham on this anniversary milestone, his impact is manifest well beyond the program and this moment.
“It lives in every scholar who gained confidence, every graduate who pursued their goals, and every life that was changed because he believed in what was possible,” Jimenez-Trippett says.
