It starts with a seed

Editor's note: Sternberg serves on the Erie County Community Foundation board of directors and was a member of the scholarship committee this year. A mustard seed is referenced biblically as a little thing with the potential to grow significantly in scale over time. At the close of high school, I am sure I speak for many here, it's hard to know what one will become. Full disclosure, that was me way back when. That is also how, I presume, a good portion of graduating seniors feel at this moment. Many face anxiety or unease about the future. The formula to set out in the right direction really isn't as much of a secret as one may think, however. It really starts with a small vision and a will to pursue that vision. If I could go back and tell this to my graduating self, I would. This notion of sowing seeds dawned on me as I read through 39 scholarship applications as a volunteer on the Erie County Community Foundation scholarship committee. As a first-timer, I didn't know what to expect. As I began to process the student applications, I was humbled and amazed by the talent in our schools across Erie County. This process opened up my eyes to the privilege I have and that someone once took a chance on me. Now is the time to pay it forward. Of the applications I reviewed, plenty of students have very little, and many come from single-income families. Others come from abundance. Across each of these spectrums, however, there are extremely talented, intelligent and servant-minded students with a vision to make a difference. They are the very people who are gearing up to go off to college to be nurses, scientists, businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, etc., right in our very community. I felt so little by comparison when reviewing the talent I saw in these applications. Just to give you a sense, this year, the Erie County Community Foundation received 845 total applications from 161 students who applied for the 40 scholarship opportunities available. These applications came from students at Edison, Huron, Margaretta, Perkins, Sandusky, Sandusky Central Catholic Schools, Vermilion, EHOVE and others. One of the volunteer reviewers from the committee went through every single application. Being on the committee is a true sacrifice, however, it is far more rewarding to consider the impact the Erie County Community Foundation is making in the lives of these students. Like the mustard seed, these young people are about to come into their own and blossom into difference-makers. They have sacrificed throughout their high school career and have performed well in their studies. They've been active members in school organizations, athletics and demonstrated volunteerism throughout the community. Many of the scholarship funds set these attributes as benchmarks in order for a student to be awarded. Let's look at this from a higher level. The Erie County Community Foundation is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Over the years, the foundation has awarded 1,400 college and post-secondary education scholarships worth nearly $2.25 million to Erie County high school and college students. This year's scholarship recipients are sharing in close to $225,000 in awards. There are many little seeds sown with hopes that they will far exceed their scale and make an incredible difference in the community. The students who were awarded a scholarship in 2025 all have a story. They're capable of great things and are more than deserving to be given a chance to make manifest their potential. If we continue to cultivate them today, there's no telling what kind of positive difference they will make in the future.