Penguin News
Scholarship Endowment to Honor Officer Justin A. Leo
by YSU Sports Informatation
Monday, Oct 8, 2018 3:03 pm
This scholarship honors the memory of Police Officer Justin A. Leo who was killed in the line of duty in October 2017. A YSU graduate and a 2009 graduate of the YSU Police Academy, Leo worked for the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department and the Vienna Police Department prior to his appointment to the Girard Police Department on July 6, 2012.
This scholarship will serve as a lasting legacy to honor his dedication to duty and his selfless nature in serving others. The scholarship was established by his parents, David and Patricia Leo, along with his family and friends. The Number 324 in the scholarship name signifies Officer Leo’s badge number that he wore while a member of the Girard Police Department.
Sports were an important part of Officer Leo’s life. A 2004 graduate of Girard High School, he was a member of their state champion cross country team in 2000. Officer Leo enjoyed golfing with his dad, serving as an umpire for the Girard baseball leagues and coaching youth basketball.
The scholarship endowment will be awarded to a YSU student-athlete with preference given to Trumbull and Mahoning County natives, and specifically graduates of Girard High School. The recipient must also demonstrate a strong commitment to community service.
“Officer Justin Leo's legacy of service to others will continue forever with these endowments to YSU," his family said.
Paul McFadden, President of the YSU Foundation, said this Memorial Scholarship is meaningful for the entire Athletic Department, University and community.
“We are privileged to salute the memory of Officer Justin A. Leo with a scholarship endowment,” McFadden said. “The outpouring of community support for him has been tremendous. Our first responders are brave and courageous people who put their lives on the line every day. Officer Leo took great pride in being a Police Office and was a very community-oriented person. It’s an honor to have a scholarship endowment in his name.”
A plaque with a photo of the 2018-19 recipient, volleyball student-athlete Aleah Hughes, will be displayed in the Stambaugh Stadium Scholarship Loge Complex. The Leo Family will be honored during the second quarter of Saturday's YSU Football Game against Southern Illinois.
For more information, or to endow an athletic scholarship at Youngstown State University, contact Dan Kopp at the YSU Foundation at (330) 941-3211 or dkopp@ysufoundation.org
