$175,000 in scholarships awarded to local students through Community Foundation

2015 Shelby High School graduate who is Harvard University bound, Frankie Hill, stands with Foundation donors Pam and Terry Roach at his grandparents’ Morats Bakery in Hart. The Roaches awarded four scholarships to area students from their Cancer Survivor Scholarship Fund.

SHELBY — Some 60 Oceana clubs, organizations, individuals and families have combined to give away 175 awards totaling almost $175,000 to area students who are pursuing studies this fall. This is almost 10 percent more scholarships and funds awarded than last year, and comes as Oceana students are being strongly encouraged to continue their education in colleges, universities, technical and trade schools after high school.

“The county-wide, stepped-up effort, led by the Oceana CAN! (College Access Network) is making real progress,” said Tammy Carey, Executive Director of the Community Foundation for Oceana County. “Enrollment in post-secondary institutions by area high school graduates is on the rise – from 48 percent in 2012 to 56 percent in 2014.”

With only 25 percent of Oceana’s current working-age adults having an associate’s degree or higher, the goal is for all students to have an equal opportunity to acquire the necessary education and training so they possess the skills needed by today’s economy. “An important part of the Foundation’s role in the community is to provide leadership on urgent community issues.

Increasing education attainment rates is not only a pathway out of poverty for many of our citizens but is also critical for our economic vitality – providing the educated and trained workforce that our local employers need. We have found our scholarship donors and committees to be very receptive to talking about new ways to leverage all of our collective resources to best meet the needs of our citizens, while at the same time honoring the legacy of a loved one.”

“I’m happy to answer people’s questions about our scholarship program and other aspects of our Foundation. We welcome all ideas on how to increase post-secondary education rates and perhaps someday we will be able to offer an Oceana Promise to our graduates, like the Kalamazoo Promise. It would certainly require an aggressive funding plan by many sources, but I’m the ever optimist when it comes to what this community can accomplish” added Carey, who can be reached at 231-861-8335.

New funds awarding scholarships in 2015 include the Jordan Evans Memorial Scholarship (for Hart Public School students pursuing a degree in agricultural sciences or vocational training); Melissa S. Fralic Scholarship Fund (for Hart Public School students pursuing an education degree); the Terry & Pam Roach Cancer Survivor Scholarship (for area graduates who have received a cancer diagnosis or someone in their immediate family); and the Walkerville Schools Scholarship.

Scholarships from Foundation Funds include:

Steve Boutell Memorial Scholarship: $1,500 award to Brady Parr attending Michigan State University

John Bush III Memorial Scholarship: $600 award to Anna Rivera of Walkerville High

Emily Dykstra & Aunt Catherine Lound Scholarship: $1,000 award to Kevin Brink of Shelby

Jordan Evans Memorial Scholarship: $500 award to Nicholas Curtis of Hart

Ruth & Frans Feuerstein Scholarship: $500 award to Jared Visger of Pentwater

Melissa S. Fralic Memorial Scholarship: $500 award to Norma Gonzalez of Hart

Gerald “Bud” & Judy Greiner Agricultural Scholarship: $1,000 award for two years to Alex Comstock of Shelby, Jennie Bromley of the ASM Tech Early College program

Hager-Lacey Memorial Scholarship: $1000 award for 4 years to Jennifer Herrygers of Hart, Evan Peterson of Shelby, Emily Prado of Hesperia, Tyler Quinn of Pentwater, $500 award for 4 years to Cheyenne Kalfsbeek, Stacie Talsma and $500 award for 1 year to Alejandro Berumen of Walkerville

Hart Foundation Scholarship: $1,000 award to Travis Hall, Genevieve Gottardo and Scott Pankow

Hart Foundation – Floyd “Pete” and Georgia Coulier Scholarship: $500 award to Madison Hodges

Hart Public Schools Robert E. Diman Scholarship: $1,000 award to Nicholas Curtis, Anna Drenth, Daniel Farias, Genevieve Gottardo, Orlando Guzman, Lauren Hegedus, Jennifer Herrygers, Katelynn Herrygers,  Anna Hertzler, Madison Hodges, Nicole Jorissen, Alycia Lewis, Brooke Loudermilk, Jaxon Riley, Sydney Scarbrough, Jordan Self, Tyler Tanis, Bayley Vela, Matthew Wilson, $750 award to Norma Gonzalez, $500 award to Travis Hall, Malaina Monroe, Nickolas Ponce, $250 award to Maria Gonzalez, Destiny Sniff

Hart Public Schools Robert E. Diman Vocational Scholarship: $2,000 award to Nicholas Curtis, Anna Drenth and Matt Wilson.

Hart Lions Memorial Scholarship: $1,000 award to Anna Hertzler of Hart and Cheyenne Kalfsbeek of Walkerville

Hart Rotary Club Scholarship: $1,000 award to Anna Hertzler of Hart, Savannah Slikkers, Nicholas Anscombe of Pentwater

Helen Hutt Scholarship: $600 award to Norma Gonzalez, Nickolas Ponce and Diana Giles of Hart

Edwin Johnson Scholarship: $500 award to Norma Gonzalez of Hart

Kirk Music & Education Scholarship: $1,500 total 2-year award to Norma Gonzalez of Hart and $500 award to Tyler Quinn of Pentwater

Oceana/Mason MSU Alumni Scholarship: $900 award to Logan Wood of Ludington and Michael Meekhof of Western Michigan Christian

Gerald L. Malburg Scholarship: $500 award to Jennie Bromley of the ASM Tech Early College program

Michael W. Malburg Sr. Memorial Scholarship: $500 award to Travis Hall of Hart and Nicholas Anscombe of Pentwater

Miller Scholarship Pie Contest: $500 award to Jake Mathenia, Kailee Thaler, Payton Tyndall, Jennie Gottardo, Coltyn Tyndall, Elizabeth Henley, Hanna Buzolits, Sara Lillie, Brendan Sawyer, Lucas Young, Frankie Boyko, Julia Muir, Chelsie Thaler, Abby Klett, Devin Eekhoff, Darrah Moul, Elly Lambert, Zigie Mustrin, Stacie Talsma, Payton Spirling, Brianna Sterken, Brandon Willard, Jackie Challoner, Abigail Boyer

Dean Patrick Scholarship: $500 award to Mary Tozer of Hesperia

Pentwater Foundation Scholarship: $500 award to Tyler Quinn

Pentwater Foundation – Francis Tryout Scholarship: $1,000 award to Sam Wagner

Pentwater Foundation – Vern & Florence Martin Charitable Trust: $1,500 award to Nicholas Anscombe and Tyler Quinn, $500 award to Cheyenne Dreche, Savannah Slikkers and Jared Visger

Pentwater Foundation – Sheila O’Brien Scholarship: $2,000 award for 2 years to Jordan Lucas

Pink and Green Bowl Scholarship: $800 award to Frankie Hill of Shelby and Jennifer Herrygers of Hart

Terry & Pam Roach Cancer Survivor Scholarship: $500 award to Frankie Hill of Shelby, Eric Hussey of Hesperia, Cheyenne Kalfsbeek of Walkerville and Brooke Loudermilk of Hart

Joan and David Roseman Medical Scholarship: $500 award to Nicholas Anscombe and Sam Wagner of Pentwater, Megan Fox of Shelby, Katelynn Herrygers of Hart, Kristopher Kieft attending Central Michigan University, Darrell Brown Jr attending Ferris State University and Nicole Thompson attending Central Michigan University

Shelby Area Chamber of Commerce Scholarship: $500 award to Wayne Haase attending Muskegon Community College

Shelby Foundation – Alexander Scholarship: $500 award to Cody Deen

Shelby Foundation – Bradford Scholarship: $500 award to Teddy Barco and $1,000 award to Angel Rodriguez

Shelby Foundation – Heather Copenhaver Scholarship: $500 award to Sarah Martinez

Shelby Foundation – Ralph Horton Scholarship: $500 award to Evan Peterson

Shelby Foundation – Edith Laman Scholarship: $500 award to Dylan Felt and Spencer Landis

Shelby Foundation – Griffin Scholarship: $500 award to Caitlyn Dezwaan and Kaitlyn Lentz

Shelby Foundation – Esther Wiard Scholarship: $1,000 award to Patrick Goughler and $900 award to Carson Brown

Shelby Rotary Club Scholarship: $1,500 award over 2 years to John Carey, Alex Comstock, Kaitlin Dezwaan, Jasmine Gaytan, Patrick Goughler, Frankie Hill and Gabrielle Warmuskerken

Bert Stevens Memorial Scholarship: $600 award to Kayla Dean of Hart High and Hannah Ernst of Shelby

Robert & Joyce Veltman Scholarship: $1,000 for 2 years to Anna Rivera of Walkerville

Walkerville Public Schools: $500 award to Melanie Drum

Joseph P. Warmbier Scholarship: $1,000 award to Jennifer Herrygers, Madison Hodges, Diana Giles, Mark Frazier, Nickolas Ponce and Adriana Sawdy of Hart.

US Marine Brett Witteveen Memorial Scholarship: $500 award to Travis Hall and Diana Giles, both of Hart

The Community Foundation does not make awards solely on the basis of need. Academic achievement, community involvement, extra curricular activities, intended field of study and financial need are all taken into consideration.  All Community Foundation scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. The online application process for 2016 will open Nov. 1, 2015 at www.oceana-foundation.org, and the submission deadline is March 1, 2016. For further information, contact the Foundation office at 231-861-8335.