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Vanessa T., The Pittsburgh Promise
Vanessa T., The Pittsburgh Promise

Life Changing Is ... Giving an Opportunity

Vanessa T., The Pittsburgh Promise

"The Pittsburgh Promise gave me a lot of hope for my future."

Sometimes, all anyone needs for a successful future is an opportunity. Over the last 15-plus years, The Pittsburgh Promise has helped thousands of Pittsburgh high school students get that opportunity.

The Pittsburgh Promise provides scholarship money for eligible Pittsburgh Public Schools students for post-secondary study at an accredited college, university, trade, or technical school in Pennsylvania. It is the largest program of its kind in the country.

UPMC provided the founding gift of $100 million for The Pittsburgh Promise in 2007. Since then, more than 11,000 students have received scholarships.

The scholarship money helped Vanessa go to Chatham University. She became the first member of her immediate family to attend a four-year college.

"The Pittsburgh Promise gave me a lot of hope for my future, for my life, for my career," she says. "It changed my perspective on the world."

Vanessa now is a college graduate who works for PNC. She continues to work with The Pittsburgh Promise, helping other students get opportunities.

UPMC recently announced another $10 million gift to The Pittsburgh Promise. The donation will help the program fund scholarships for Pittsburgh students through the class of 2028.

“Our investment in The Pittsburgh Promise has always been an investment in the youth of Pittsburgh and in the future of the Pittsburgh region," says Leslie Davis, UPMC President and CEO. "Supporting a generation of students and helping them access higher education has been our absolute honor."

At UPMC, Life Changing Medicine means doing our part to help our community's future.


See All That UPMC Does In The Community

Community Commitment

Community Commitment

Working in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and a wide range of community organizations, we are committed to improving the health of the communities we serve.

Charitable Giving

Charitable Giving

Life Changing Medicine at UPMC is made possible every day through the generosity of numerous individuals, corporations and foundations.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

With volunteers ranging from teens to seniors and options involving office work or patient care, there's a place for all qualifying volunteers at nearly two dozen UPMC hospitals.