Navarros Fund Scholarships for 55 YSU Students
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Flor “Shorty” and Elba Navarro met earlier this month with the Youngstown State University students receiving scholarships funded by the philanthropists.
In total, 55 students were awarded a combined $39,277 in scholarships through the couples four funds: the Shorty and Elba Navarro Scholarships, the Shorty and Elba Lillian Navarro Scholarship in Business, the Shorty and Elba Lillian Navarro Scholarship for Students in Education, Nursing, Science, Technology or Mathematics and the Flor Navarro Family Foundation.
Shorty Navarro immigrated to the United States from Puerto Rico in 1951 at the age of 14 and opened his first Lincoln Mercury dealership in 1982. He eventually expanded to 11 franchises throughout the area before selling all but one, Stadium GM Superstore in Salem, in 2012. The dealership today employs more than 65.
Elba Lillian Navarro graduated from South High School in Youngstown before attending YSU, where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Spanish, reading and education. She is a retired Youngstown City Schools teacher, teaching at Roosevelt Elementary and Chaney High School.
In addition to the four scholarships, the Navarros also established the Navarro Executive Fellows program, which connects minority students with campus leaders, who provide mentorship and networking opportunities.
A full list of the scholarship awardees is available here.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
