Associate Head Men's Basketball Coach Brian Oleksiak '14 has witnessed one moment hundreds of times during his 15 years at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven - the moment a prospective student-athlete learns they've been offered scholarship support. Now, thanks to the Oleksiak family, more Lock Haven men's basketball players will experience that same sense of opportunity, as Brian and his wife, Meisha, recently established the Oleksiak Family Scholarship, while Brian's mother, Mary, created the Kevin M. Oleksiak Scholarship in memory of Brian's late father. Together, the two scholarships represent a five-year commitment to investing in Lock Haven men's basketball student-athletes and the lives they will build on and off the court.
For one alumni couple, giving back to Commonwealth University-Lock Haven is about more than supporting their alma mater - it's about creating opportunities for students to succeed, grow and ultimately help others do the same.
Through the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF), the husband and wife, who wish to remain anonymous, recently established the Change-Makers Scholarship Fund, a new scholarship that will provide $5,000 annually to support hardworking students on the CU-Lock Haven campus. Preference will be given to non-commuter students who maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and the scholarship is renewable if recipients remain in good academic standing.
The Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF) and Lock Haven Alumni Association (LHAA) have announced newly elected volunteer leadership for their respective boards of directors, effective July 1, marking the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
In 2018, Dan & Elisabeth Heckert established the Heckert Family/PPG Men’s Wrestling Leadership Scholarship through the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF), with matching support from Dan’s employer, PPG Industries, amplifying the impact of their gift. A year later, they created one of the first women’s wrestling scholarships in LHUF history by establishing the Heckert Family/PPG Women’s Wrestling Leadership Scholarship.
Now, with their most recent gifts to LHUF, the Heckerts and PPG are not only renewing both scholarships, but, proudly, they are increasing their level of support to make an even greater impact on Lock Haven wrestlers as part of Lock Haven Wrestling’s The Rise campaign.
Some students arrive on campus carrying more than just backpacks and textbooks. They carry long work shifts, family responsibilities, financial uncertainty, but also the determination to keep moving forward despite every obstacle in their path.
That is exactly the kind of student Robert “Keith” Hall ’73 and his wife, Susan, aim to support after establishing the Tenacity Grant for Emerging Scholars through the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF), a five-year scholarship commitment that will provide $5,000 annually to Commonwealth University-Lock Haven students whose determination, resilience, and work ethic demonstrate their potential for future success.
1973 Lock Haven alumnus, Karl Hartsock, VMD, is turning a lifetime of achievement into opportunity for the next generation. Through the Lock Haven University Foundation, Hartsock recently established the Dr. Karl R. Hartsock, VMD Scholarship, a new award designed to support incoming biology students at CU-Lock Haven. Focused on first-year students, the scholarship helps ease the financial burden at a critical transition point, while offering renewable support for those who maintain a 3.0 GPA.
A bold new era of innovation, entrepreneurship and experiential learning is coming to Commonwealth University-Lock Haven thanks to a transformational $1.75 million gift from alumnus and entrepreneur Nicholas Subich '17 - one of the largest gifts in the 59-year history of the Lock Haven University Foundation.
More than 100 donors and scholarship recipients gathered on April 12 for the Lock Haven University Foundation's (LHUF) annual James C. Reeser Scholarship Brunch, held in the Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center (DACC). The event served as a celebration of philanthropy in action - bringing together those who give with those whose lives are transformed through scholarship support at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven.
Thanks to a transformative, six-figure, immediate-use leadership gift to the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF) from Dr. George ’61 and Shirley Durrwachter, the Zimmerli Cardio Room is being reimagined — transformed into a modern, high-impact environment that reflects the technology of today’s health, fitness and rehabilitation fields.
For the Durrwachters, the investment is both deeply personal and profoundly purposeful — honoring their lifelong belief that education and health are two of the most powerful investments a person can make, fostering meaningful impact on Lock Haven students, enriching the campus community, and inspiring others to give back.
When Glen Allison ‘94 reflects on his time at Lock Haven, his memories aren't just about podium finishes or championship medals - they are about people, family and the moments that shaped him into the man he is today.
Now, through a recent gift to the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF) for the Glen Allison Track & Field Scholarship, Allison is aiming to ensure today's Bald Eagle cross country and track and field student-athletes have access to the same life-changing opportunities that helped define his own journey.
When Elizabeth "Betsy" (Persun) Miller graduated from Lock Haven State College in 1973, she left with more than just a bachelor's degree in English. She carried with her a deep sense of confidence, lifelong friendships and an enduring appreciation for the education she received at a state-funded university. Now, more than 50 years later, she is giving back to the place that helped shape her life by establishing the Elizabeth Persun Miller '73, Rodney Miller and Allison Miller Scholarship at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven.
In 2020, Dan Cruttenden ‘73 established the Linda Repp Cruttenden ‘71 Scholarship through the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF). Since then, the scholarship has provided $1,000 annually to a student-athlete on the women’s basketball team who embodies leadership on and off the court. Recently, Dan and Linda decided to take their commitment one step further, pledging a major estate gift to ensure their scholarship, and its impact on young women, will be endowed in perpetuity.
