Steuben County Community Foundation

🌟 FIST Senior Spotlight - Samuel Lockwood

During his four years in FIST, Samuel Lockwood became known for his kindness, leadership, and commitment to serving others.

As a student at Hamilton Community Schools, Samuel enjoyed projects like mural painting and valued the relationships he built most through FIST. He says the experience helped him become more aware of community needs and more confident in public relations and leadership.

Samuel believes leadership is about “being the example,” and he hopes his time in FIST helped bring the community closer together while encouraging younger students to give back and grow as leaders themselves.

After graduation, Samuel plans to continue serving others by joining the United States Marine Corps.

Thank you, Samuel, for the positivity, leadership, and dedication you have shared with FIST and the Steuben County community. We are excited to see the impact you will continue to make.

Help us congratulate Samuel and wish him the best in this next chapter.

Visit https://www.steubenfoundation.org/about/we-connect-community/youth-philanthropy to learn more about FIST and youth leadership in Steuben County.

SCCF is investing $150,000 to help address the growing early childhood education shortage in Steuben County because the need is too significant to ignore.

Right now, there are 2,070 children under age 6 in Steuben County, but licensed child care capacity only serves 876 children. The shortage impacts families, local employers, and the future workforce of our community.

An estimated 437 parents would return to work if reliable, affordable child care was available, while families continue facing rising costs, waitlists, and limited options.

This investment supports the continued development of the Steuben County Early Childhood Coalition, bringing together leaders across business, healthcare, education, government, and nonprofit sectors to create long-term solutions for families and our community.

Why do you think access to early childhood education matters for the future of Steuben County?

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4udmf74