Cook Family Foundation Executive Director Tom Cook (center) stands with scholarship winners (left to right) Haley Munson, Jorja Napier, Quinn Skarich, and Brody Webb

The Cook Family Foundation continues to support the best and brightest students to attend the University of Michigan. From nine high schools in the greater Shiawassee area, 36 students have been awarded scholarships to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Flint.  

Quinn Skarich of Owosso High School was awarded the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, one of the highest accolades in the greater Shiawassee County region. This scholarship, recently endowed by Bruce and Jacqueline Cook after their recent passing, provides four years of undergraduate tuition to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, with a value in excess of $65,000. 

Haley Munson of Durand High School and Jorja Napier of Owosso High School were awarded the Donald Cook Scholarship. Brody Webb of Perry High School earned the third Kuhlman Family Scholarship, funded by UM alumni, Dr. Paul and Kit Kuhlman. Each of these winners earned a four-year scholarship worth $20,000.

An additional 32 students have received scholarships from the Cook Family Foundation, ranging from $3,000 to $20,000. This year, the scholarships awarded by the Foundation and the University of Michigan totaled over $659,500, not counting additional financial aid many of these students might also qualify for. With these awards, the Foundation has now helped more than 900 students from the greater Shiawassee region attend the University of Michigan.

“It is great to honor and celebrate these outstanding students” said Foundation President, Paul Cook at the annual scholarship recognition reception held April 30 at the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts.  “They have all worked hard, and certainly deserve it!” We are excited and confident these students will go on to great things.” Guest of honor at the event was Dr. Donna Frye, interim Chancellor at UM-Flint.  She congratulated the scholarship recipients and thanked the Foundation for their long support of the University of Michigan.  

Quinn Skarich, the 20th Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship winner, is the daughter of Corbin and Dr. Nicholas (deceased) Skarich.  Quinn is the valedictorian of her class at Owosso High School. In addition to being a top student she is the president of the Youth Advisory Committee of The Shiawassee Community Foundation, the Drum major of the Trojan Marching Band, the Captain of the Quiz Bowl Team, and active with the National Honor Society and International Club. Quinn has a strong interest in biology and medicine and is thinking about a career in dentistry.

In recognition of the Foundation’s original benefactor, Donald Cook Scholarships were awarded to Haley Munson of Durand High School and Jorja Napier of Corunna High School. The Donald Cook Scholarship, endowed by the Cook Family Foundation, is awarded by the University of Michigan to a student attending the College of LS&A and is worth $20,000. Donald Cook was a 1924 graduate of the University of Michigan who established the Foundation with his wife Florence-etta in 1978.  

Haley Munson is a top ten student at Durand High School. Her parents are Loren Munson and Krystal McKinnis. In addition to being an outstanding student, Haley is an accomplished artist, a choir member of the Durand Madrigals and on-stage with the Drama Club. She plans to study psychology.

Jorja Napier is the valedictorian of Corunna High School. Her parents are George Napier and Kimberly Watson. In addition to being a top student, she is a successful athlete and has been a leader on her basketball, soccer, volleyball, and track teams.  She intends to major in Chemistry and is considering a career in medicine.

Another special event was the awarding of the third Kuhlman Family Scholarship, funded by UM alumni, Dr. Paul and Kit Kuhlman. This scholarship is administered by the Cook Family Foundation, but funded by the Kuhlman Family. The benefactors are University of Michigan graduates, as are their children, Matt and Kimberly.  “A couple of years ago we decided to fund a scholarship to a local deserving student, and thought who better to help us navigate a scholarship to our alma mater, than my lifelong friend, Bruce Cook,” said Dr. Kuhlman.  

Brody Webb is the recipient of this year’s Kuhlman Family Scholarship. Brody is a top ten student at Perry High School. His parents are Stephen and Audrey Webb.  Brody has played six varsity sports and is captain of the Rambler Soccer team.  He is also captain of the quiz bowl team, and band president.  Brody intends to major in biology at UM with plans to become an optometrist.

In total 36 scholarship recipients from nine area high schools were honored.  Among these future Wolverines are six valedictorians and three salutatorians of their class. From eight of the high schools, 18 of the students were named Shiawassee Scholars when they were in ninth grade by the Shiawassee Regional Education Service District.  The Cook Family Foundation funds this program to assist academically promising students through their high school career.  

Scholarship winners include, from Byron Area High School: Thomas Harris, Alana Riddell, and Mason Stark; from Chesaning Union High School: Makenzie Hall, Haylee Luft, Phoebe Malek, and Jeana Travis; from Corunna High School: Alex Granville, Claire Milton, Jorja Napier, Lillia Reid, Jude Suchyta, and William Walter; from Durand Area High School: Abigail Beland (2023 Graduate), Genavieve Bell, Madeline Bias, Julia Burk, Megan Dear-Marme, Avery Gilson (2023 Graduate), Kendall Hall (2023 Graduate), Haley Munson, Jacob Shankster, and Raegan Taylor; from Laingsburg High School:  Jaylei Kramer; from New Lothrop High School:  Emma Bishop, Liliana Bruff, and Colton Symons: from Ovid-Elsie Area High School:  Mason Ritenburg; from Owosso High School:  Rajvinder Kaur, Elijah Morgan, Karissa Potter, Kira Riedsema, Quinn Skarich, and Sierra Wright; from Perry High School:  Madison Reeder, Calena Stevens, and Brody Webb.

The Cook Family Foundation offers a scholarship to any student from the greater Shiawassee region that is admitted the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher who are admitted to UM-Flint or UM-Dearborn are also offered scholarships.  Because UM-Flint continues to admit students for the next several months, the Foundation may yet recognize additional scholarship winners.  For more information, visit the Foundation’s Scholarship page.