‘He left his footprint’: How a new scholarship honors the life of Osaze Osagie, helps the community
Sylvester Osagie, a longtime community member, bit his lower lip and took a long pause while explaining how his son was no longer alive to fulfill his dreams.
It’s been 29 months since Sylvester’s son, 29-year-old Osaze, was shot and killed by State College police. Twenty-nine months since the two traded phone calls, where Osaze would always make it a point to open the conversation with how “Dad” was doing. Twenty-nine months since the two last embraced.
“It’s tough,” Sylvester said on a recent afternoon. “We are trying to gather ourselves together. We are trying — basically trying — to see how we can survive and bring closure to all that is happening.”
Osaze once wanted to be a writer, Sylvester said. That dream is gone now. But part of that elusive “closure,” Sylvester said, is seeing something positive come out of that pain — seeing other young men and women live dreams that Osaze never got a chance to fulfill. To that end, the Osagie family was grateful to announce the newly established Osaze Osagie College Scholarship Endowment at Centre Foundation, whose committee announced Sunday that more than $65,000 has so far been raised toward its $100,000 goal.
The hope, Sylvester said, is the scholarship endowment will help underrepresented State College students, especially those with a record of community service, achieve their own dreams. So, while the death of SCASD alum Osaze might’ve been polarizing, his life — his legacy, this endowment — might be unifying.
“Sometimes, when I think of him, I think about all the dreams that parents have when they look at their children and the dreams that Iyunolu and Sylvester had for their son,” said Felisa Preciado Higgins, part of the scholarship committee that has helped to fundraise and raise awareness. “And even though we don’t enjoy his physical presence anymore, I think it’s pretty evident that he left a legacy. He left his footprint.”
Celebrating the life of a ‘gentle giant’
Osaze’s final hours of life — on March 20, 2019 — have been repeated endlessly. About how he suffered from autism and schizophrenia. About how police arrived at his apartment to serve a mental health warrant. About how police said he moved at them with a knife, and how an officer shot him three times.
But, friends and family said, those final moments shouldn’t solely define Osaze’s 29 years of life. And they hope this scholarship, which could potentially amount to $5,000 annually for one State College senior, serves as that reminder. It’s meant to celebrate his life, not necessarily mourn his death.
“He didn’t get enough credit when he was here,” said Yum Yum Abdul, one of his best friends. “A lot of the good he did was behind closed doors. ... The positivity and things he did for the community — I’m hoping that will outshine a mental health break.”
Osaze’s final hours are well-documented — but not his life. People are familiar with the lawsuits and controversy surrounding his death, but not many know the man many described as a “gentle giant.” He was the type to volunteer to do neighbors’ yard work, the kid who often won his church’s weekly Bible Quiz and the man who was able to stop disagreements without so much as raising his voice.
“He was a big entertainer,” his father said. Laughter often filled the homes he visited. He carried in people’s groceries without being asked. He’d show up early to Community Services Group, which provides mental health and other related services, and then stay late to help clean. A mental health worker once taught him how to make plantains — he wasn’t a great cook, Abdul said with a laugh — and, on several occasions, he then brought in enough plantains for the group, as a thank-you.
“Life threw a lot at him, and he was able to endure it without taking it out on other people,” his father said, noting he wasn’t once called down to the principal’s office in high school. “He constantly expressed love.”
Life got tougher as Osaze’s mental health issues bubbled to the surface. Unsupervised, he sometimes didn’t take his medication, further complicating matters. But before life got tough, or when Osaze did take his medication, he was known as a fiercely loyal friend and empathetic individual.
As a middle schooler interested in writing fiction, he gathered a group of local kids who’d offer one another critiques. He was a born leader, friends said. He was also deeply religious, often repeating from the Book of James how works and good deeds were required of faith. He never complained and never asked for rewards; he just wanted a simple life filled with love, friends and family said.
“I think that he modeled who we want to be as humans — caring for each other, giving ourselves to others without expecting anything in return,” Preciado Higgins said. “And I think this scholarship is an opportunity to do just that, to do this unsolicited act of love.”
A lasting impact for State College students
About a year ago, a coalition of groups — mainly the local chapters of the NAACP and Showing Up for Racial Justice — approached the Osagie family about raising funds for a scholarship, unrelated to Penn State’s memorial scholarship. The Osagies jumped on board, focused it on Osaze’s spirit of community service, and an 11-person committee was formed earlier this year to formally launch a fundraising campaign.
The first recipient of the annual scholarship is expected to be announced next year, as part of the Class of 2022. The hope is to start accepting applications as soon as March and April, thanks to the quick work of the committee, which includes community leaders such as Mimi Barash Coppersmith (founder of Town & Gown Magazine), Ezra Nanes (Democratic nominee for State College Borough Mayor) and Rija Sabeeh (State High student).
Osaze wasn’t a perfect person, but he often surprised those around him. He defended the police to his friends more than once, as one friend who often disagreed with him acknowledged. He loved Penn State football, could effortlessly spout the career stats of NBA superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, and never failed to cheer up friends or family if he sensed they were unhappy.
He was there for anyone who needed it. Abdul, who acknowledged she was once suicidal, shared those feelings with Osaze, who told her he would be there whenever she needed to talk — even if it was 3 a.m.
“He saved me,” Abdul managed.
Osaze wasn’t one-dimensional. He had mental health issues — but he also had a big heart. His last hours were polarizing — but his life was filled with love and community service. And, both the Osagie family and scholarship committee members hope, that annual scholarship can serve as that reminder. Even if Osaze couldn’t live his own dreams, he’d want others to live theirs. He cared more about other people than himself, they said.
“My heartfelt respect goes to his parents, who are creating something so positive while experiencing the deepest grief possible,” State College Superintendent Bob O’Donnell said. “Through their extraordinary and gracious gesture, some of our students will receive extra support to help them realize their dreams.”
Said Sylvester: “This scholarship means a lot to us — especially because we think it would mean a lot to our son.”
Those interested can donate online toward the scholarship through Centre Foundation.
This story was originally published August 29, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
