A new scholarship program will soon be offered to Western New York High School seniors. Harvest Time Partners, a Michigan-based company, will provide the funding through several local organizations. The scholarships will be provided to students who demonstrate strong character.
"When we think about character development, it's not only about school,the home life, and the community, so there are a lot of different touch points that impact a child's development," said David Esposito. managing partner of Harvest Time.
Esposito grew up in the Buffalo area and says he now wants to give back to this community.
Harvest Time is a personal and professional development business assisting in building character.
Esposito traveled to Buffalo this past weekend to meet with groups, such as Baker Victory Educational Services and School, Kids Escaping Drugs and the Ronald McDonald House, to hammer out details for the future scholarship.
Some of the criteria for the scholarships will be specific to the mission of those organizations.
"And certainly as we think about high school students, you know there is a certain element of nature vs. nurture debate in the development of people. I think certainly early ongoing those are very important. But then, certainly, as we get into high school it is very important about individuals are responsible for the choices they make," said Esposito.
Esposito notes the conditions surrounding children are no longer simple and predictable given incidents of gun violence or abuse of drugs by athletes.
Harvest Time is making a three-year commitment to fund several annual scholarships in this region.
The scholarship dollars will be awarded to eligible high school seniors who display a strong character in the classroom, athletic field and community.