Last June, Scott Berscheid became the youngest person ever and the first student to be on the Board of Directors for the United Way.

The Board of Directors is a volunteer group of community members, business heads and others involved in the community, said Berscheid, junior in marketing, psychology and human relations.

The group meets about once every three weeks and decides how to allocate money, run campaigns and recruit members.

“I feel the United Way is a worthwhile cause because one out of every three people you know will be helped by a United Way-funded organization,” Berscheid said. “Without the United Way, many organizations wouldn’t survive.”

John McGuire, interim executive director of United Way, said by having Berscheid on the board, youth’s involvement in the United Way should increase.

“I am very happy we have a student on board,” McGuire said. “It makes sense that students are represented because we are in a college town. National trends show that volunteerism is up, and we are looking to get students involved locally.”

Some of the organizations that the United Way supports include many of the nonprofit organizations in Story County, such as the Red Cross, YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club. United Way also provides training, leadership and how-to workshops for the agencies they help out, McGuire said.

Currently, Berscheid also is involved in the campus division of United Way, the “United Way Team,” of which he is the president. The purpose of the team is to get the student population involved with the United Way.

“Last year during Student United Way Week, I helped raise 440 percent of United Way’s goal of $1,000,” Berscheid said. “United Way was happy, and I exceeded my own expectations. I never thought we would ever do that well.”

After that success, Berscheid was contacted by United Way and invited to be on the Board of Directors.

“The board expressed an interest in a student being a part of the United Way,” Berscheid said. “I interviewed for the position and explained what I hoped of student involvement for the United Way.” Later that day, United Way contacted him and invited him to join the board.

Berscheid says he hopes more students will become involved in community activities.

“Many older generations feel my generation isn’t involved or motivated to help one another. They feel we just don’t give a damn,” Berscheid said.