Yeyya Wane Staff Writer
Anyone who has been in Pennsylvania for any amount of time has most likely seen a Sheetz store, if not been in one. Here at Penn State Altoona, Sheetz is known as a popular destination for students who are plagued by late-night cravings. But not many know the story of how this chain store came to be so successful.
In 1952, Bob Sheetz bought one of his father’s five dairy stores located here in Altoona, opening the first of many Sheetz stores. A few years later, in 1961, Bob hired his brother Steve to work part-time for him. When Steve joined his brother in the business as General Manager in 1969, the two set about expanding their business. After three years of working together, the brothers succeeded in doubling their company– going from seven to fourteen stores. In 1983, Sheetz Inc. had 100 stores (sheetz.com). According to scrapehero.com, today, there are 634 Sheetz locations in six different states.
Steve Sheetz is the current Chairman of Sheetz Inc. Not only is he a successful businessman, but he is also a well-known philanthropist and one of Penn State’s biggest benefactor. In 2021 alone, he and his wife, Nancy, have donated over $2 million to the school through the Sheetz Fellows Program, a program that “offers mentorship, special programming and financial support to Penn State Altoona students with the capacity to lead and serve in the local community and beyond” (altoona.psu.edu). 
On the evening of the NAACP Freedom Fighter Gala, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sheetz, who was also in attendance. After introducing myself, I expressed my interest in setting up an interview with him to learn more about the Sheetz Fellows Program. He readily accepted, and we set up an interview for Tuesday, November 9th.
Mr. Sheetz and I sat down in the Laurel Pavillion to discuss his career as a businessman, the Sheetz Fellows Program and his vision for it, and more.
Q: Could you tell me about your overall experience at Penn State? How did Penn State Altoona shape you into the person you are today?
A: You know I started here 1966 spent my first two years of Penn State Altoona… and the first two years I studied to be a math teacher. Then my brother asked me to switch… so, I switched to business. I think what Penn State did for me was just turn me into what I call a lifelong learner. In other words, I wasn’t really a great student when I started, but I think I became a lifelong learner. Even after college, I just really absorb a lot. I want to get better. [I want to] get better at building the business, better as a person. So, I think Penn State started me on that journey of lifelong learning.
Q: Do you have any cherished memories of your time at Penn State?
A: Well, when I started here–I’m really short– I played on the basketball team here. I always loved sports so, of course, some of my early memories here were playing basketball. I didn’t really play; I was kind of part of the practice squad. I wasn’t good enough to really play. But I had a lot of friends here. Then, when I went up to University Park, I still had a bunch of friends but you know then you get a lot of other friends. You bring in other people, which I think really helps to expand your horizons outside of this area… I think it’s just a great learning experience you know in terms of opening yourself up to people from different regions.
Q: Why did you decide to create the Sheetz Fellows Program?
A: I thought about just giving Penn State some money. But then I thought “I want to help Penn State and at the same time, I’d like to be able to create a program that would emulate what had helped me achieve success, one, but also achieve a fulfilling life. So, I sat down with the chancellor and with other people here at Penn State and I said, “You know I had a mentor and when I travelled abroad with my wife, we really learned a lot. I like to interact with entrepreneurs, and I really like community service”. And to my surprise, Penn State allowed us to create a program that [included] all of those things. We have a study abroad program, we bring entrepreneurs regularly to talk to the students, we send them to leadership conferences… I mean we created… what really helped me to be successful and lead a fulfilling life.
Q: How does the Sheetz Fellows Program enrich college life outside of academics?
A: As a Fellow, you have to commit to doing 80 hours of community service. And I will tell you that many of the students aren’t really wild about that when they start. But they will tell us at the end that one of the most fulfilling parts of this program was having that experience of going out and not just helping in the community but connecting with the community. The idea was not just to connect you to this community but every community you go back to or grow up and to be engaged with that community and get involved. I think all our students walk away and say, “Outside of college, I want to get engaged in my community”.
After our insightful and enriching conversation, I thanked Mr. Sheetz for his time, and we went our separate ways. The Sheetz Fellows Program is a true testament to his commitment to the Penn State Altoona community, and a great opportunity that everyone should participate in.
