Eisenhart Community Scholars

The Eisenhart Community Scholars Program seeks individuals who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to becoming servant leaders and to bettering the community. Eisenhart Scholars are innovators who bring new ideas for improving the community and who work well as part of a team. If this describes you, we invite you to apply—show us who you are and what you believe. Please consider the following guidelines:

• Applications for incoming first-year students are due by February 16, 2024 for the 2024-25 academic year.
• There are NO strict GPA or test score requirements. We will evaluate your application as a whole, and will consider past community work as well as your future goals, teamwork, and more. 
• The Eisenhart Scholars team will review your application and may ask to speak with you.
• Plan on attending Accepted Student Day so you can meet other incoming Eisenhart Scholars.

The Eisenhart Community Scholars Program scholarship is awarded for a maximum of four years (eight semesters). To continue receiving the scholarship each year, you must:

• Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA and show satisfactory academic progress;
• Complete the Entrepreneurial Thinking First-Year Seminar during the fall semester of your first year.
• Complete the Rhetorical Communication course (FCO 105) with other Eisenhart Community Scholars during the spring semester of your first year.
• Complete a 1-credit Honors Program seminar each semester, from the spring semester of your first year through the fall semester of your senior year.  
• Contribute 60 or more hours of volunteer engagement, innovation, and leadership each year (approximately 30/semester) through the Spartan Volunteer Network.
• Develop a volunteer engagement and leadership portfolio that chronicles your journey and accomplishments as an Eisenhart Scholar. 
• Actively participate in the Honors Program and the Changemakers community.
• Remain in good standing as a YCP student.
• Complete all forms and documents required by York College for Changemaker program students, including standard clearances and a consent and release form.

William S. "Bill" Eisenhart passed away in February 2014, but it is clear that the community where he lived and worked for so many years will long hold him in very high esteem. 

He was a graduate of York Collegiate Institute (which later became York College), Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and he practiced law from 1940 until 2013. He also served in the U.S. Army from 1941–1946, separating as a First Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, Special Agent, Counterintelligence Corps, assigned to the Hanford Engineering Works (Manhattan Project).

In a York Daily Record article, fellow attorney Bill Anstine recalled that Eisenhart was always unwavering about doing the right thing and said, "He'd be glad to share his knowledge with a younger attorney. He was not shy about imparting wisdom to others. He wanted things done right." Anstine added that Eisenhart was "very calm, polite, gracious, and knowledgeable."

Attorney Eisenhart was just as dedicated to the welfare of the York community as he was to helping his clients. He provided a bequest and established a trust in support of York College, which funds the Eisenhart Community Scholars Program. 

Over the years, Attorney Eisenhart was actively involved with numerous local organizations, such as the former York County Academy, York Hospital, York YMCA and York YWCA, Children's Home of York, and York County SPCA. He held many leadership positions, including former council President of Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, club President of the Rotary Club of York, and President of the York County Community Foundation board. He is survived by his son, Christopher C. Eisenhart. 

Excerpt (edited) from YC Magazine, Fall 2015 issue.