Be it the convenience or cheap, made-to-order food, Sheetz stores can be a haven for teenagers and young adults.
Now the family behind the Altoona-based convenience store dynasty is paying it forward to Slippery Rock University students.
Charlie Sheetz and his wife, Gail, have made a donation to SRU that will fund a nursing skills lab and a mentorship program for business students. Charlie Sheetz is a 1974 SRU graduate and earned his degree in elementary education.
There are more than 830 Sheetz stores across seven states.
“My education at Slippery Rock University helped shape my work ethic, my leadership style and my belief in the power of opportunity,” said Sheetz in a statement. “Gail and I believe strongly in investing in people, and SRU is a place that consistently develops talented, driven graduates.”
Justin Zackal, SRU spokesman, declined to share the amount of the Sheetz family donation, at the family’s request.
The donation will fund the new Charlie Sheetz Mentorship Program for five years, starting this fall. The program is designed to prepare junior and senior business students for the workforce through networking events, career-focused workshops and connections with alumni.
SRU officials estimate that, during its first year, as many as 100 students and 40 alumni mentors will participate in the program.
The Sheetz gift also funds the “Charlie ‘74 and Gail Sheetz Nursing Skills Lab” as Slippery Rock will debut its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this fall. The lab will be furnished with hospital-grade equipment aimed to replicate clinical settings.
The new Sheetz donation is in addition to the Charles Sheetz scholarship created in 1998 to support incoming SRU students from Blair County with financial need.