The Don and Jean Sloan Youth Service Scholarship
The Don and Jean Sloan Youth Service Scholarship is awarded through Youth Volunteer Corps Headquarters. The $1,000 scholarship is open to active YVC volunteers who have demonstrated excellence in volunteerism and leadership and who are committed to making a difference in their communities. Applications for the 2024 Youth Service Scholarship are now under review and a winner will be announced soon!
“My parents showed me the value of giving back to the community, and this scholarship rewards a young person with the same spirit.”
– Julie Sloan, who launched the scholarship in honor of her parents
2024 Scholarship Recipient: Shruti Balla
Shruti, a volunteer with YVC in Plymouth, MI, began volunteering with YVC in 6th grade and quickly joined her affiliate’s Youth Advisory Board. In 2019, she became a member of IYAB and served as an Executive Team Member from 2020-2024. Through high school, Shruti has also led her school’s GET-IT (Girls Exploring Together – Information Technology) Club, where she’s taught various technology-related subjects to other students. When her community struggled in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shruti and her peers helped to maintain YVC programming in Plymouth despite incredible challenges including the absence of a Program Director at some points. These experiences through her 349 hours of service have helped Shruti to grow in life and work skills like collaboration and the ability to deal with uncertainty and changing circumstances, skills she will use in her future career in the Computer Science field.
College Plans: Shruti will attend the University of Michigan where she will study Computer Science in the College of Engineering.