Alumna Orsia ’79 and Jay Young Donate $1 Million to Support Scholarships at Stevenson
Stevenson University is pleased to announce it has received a $1 million gift from alumna Orsia F. Young, Esq., Class of 1979, and Albert J.A. “Jay” Young, Esq. Orsia, who served in a variety of leadership roles at Villa Julie College from 1988 to 2003, and her husband Jay are longtime supporters of the University. Their gift will fund the new Success at Stevenson Scholarship program.
“On behalf of our entire Stevenson community, I would like to thank Orsia and Jay for this extraordinary gift to the University,” said Stevenson President Elliot Hirshman. “Both have expressed the hope that their gift will help provide generations of students the opportunity to obtain an exceptional education and gain the confidence, direction, and vision to achieve success in their lives and careers. We are very grateful for their generosity and their friendship.”
Orsia graduated magna cum laude from Villa Julie College with a degree in Paralegal Studies. She continued her education at Towson University and the University of Baltimore School of Law while serving as a paralegal and general litigation attorney at Thomas E. Webb and Associates. Orsia returned to Villa Julie in 1986 to teach in the College’s Paralegal Studies program. Beginning in 1988, she held a series of key roles in the College’s administration: Director of Admissions (1988-1991), Director of Development (1990-1998), Vice President for Development (1998-2001), and Vice President for External Relations and Special Assistant to the President (2001-2003). In 2019, Orsia was appointed to the President’s Advisory Council and in 2021 was elected to the Stevenson Board of Trustees, serving on the Academic Affairs and the University Advancement committees.
Jay Young is a principal at the law firm of Brown, Brown & Young. Alongside his wife, Jay is active in a number of community and charitable organizations, and both Orsia and Jay have been honored for their philanthropy and fundraising efforts in Harford County and throughout Maryland.
“Throughout its history, Stevenson University has successfully prepared students for the next stage of their lives, whether work or continuing their education,” said Orsia. “My husband and I decided to create the Success at Stevenson Scholarship to help students overcome unforeseen financial difficulties and achieve that success. As a board member, I’ve listened to the very real, very heartbreaking reasons students cannot finish their degree, and I don’t want to see any student’s dreams destroyed because they encounter a hardship outside their control.”
Orsia’s long legacy of service and dedication to the University has also been recognized by the annual Orsia F. Young Leadership Award. The award is conferred on one graduating student from each academic school who has performed in an outstanding manner as a leader in the Stevenson community, initiated action, motivated others to do so, and has been an agent for positive change in the University.
Stevenson University serves more than 2,700 traditional undergraduates on its campus in Owings Mills, Maryland, as well as graduate and professional students through Stevenson University Online and doctoral students in its Doctor of Psychology program. Stevenson is driven by an educational mission to provide exceptional experiences in and out of the classroom, create career connections that foster students’ professional success after college, and offer a supportive community in which all students can grow intellectually, socially, and professionally.
Alumna Orsia ’79 and Jay Young