Forty-three of the most academically accomplished high school seniors from all ten high schools in the Shiawassee County area recently made a trip to Ann Arbor. (See below for the full listing of all fifty-five nominees, including those nominees unable to attend the trip.) Photo Credit: Michael D-L Jordan/David Lorne Photographic

It’s the beginning of the 2024-25 school year in the Shiawassee region and that means it’s also time for some area high school seniors to learn more about becoming a Wolverine!

Fifty-eight of Shiawassee County region’s most academically accomplished high school seniors have been nominated for scholarships to the University of Michigan by the Cook Family Foundation. One of these students will be selected to receive a four-year, full-tuition, scholarship from the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship administered by the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. 

In order to assist them with their college selection, forty-three of the nominees recently attended an overnight trip to the University of Michigan. There they had the opportunity to meet with admission officers, take a tour of the campus and stadium, attend an actual UM class, and spend time with students from the Shiawassee County area presently enrolled at the University of Michigan.

“We want to make sure the leaders and the best among local high school students seriously consider the University of Michigan for the next level of education – and our annual trip to campus allows students to experience a first-hand look,” said Foundation Executive Director Tom Cook.  “We are committed to the academic success of local students and to building partnerships with our public schools and our state’s oldest public university.”

Each of the nominees will receive at least a $5,000 scholarship to attend the University of Michigan. In addition to the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship process, the Cook Family Foundation provides a scholarship to any student from the greater Shiawassee region with a 3.5 GPA or higher who attends any of the three campuses of the University of Michigan.  

If they apply and are admitted to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the following students will be considered for the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship: from Byron: Zerik Crawford-Porter, Emma Davis, and Myleigh Rohner; from Chesaning: Karma Crandell, Truman Danek, Eliott Keck, Jeffrey Luce, Joslyn McGough, Natalie Pierce, Caleb Walker, and Skylar Wissinger; from Corunna: Jack Challender, Robert Donley, Logan Fox, Alan Mrva, and Jaxon Strauch; from Durand: Whitley Byrd, Timothy Halleaux, Joseph Maciak, and Logan Schubart; from Laingsburg: Kaitlyn Laing, Evelyn Logghe, Andrew Park, Felix Ramirez, Emily Rathka, and Emma West; from Morrice: Mackenzie Botimer and Isabel Tribley; from New Lothrop: Alexis Andres, Kyle Gillie, Rylee Handley, Matthew Hughes, and Ashlyn Orr; from Ovid-Elsie: Javen Belill, Riley Clark, Brayden Gruesbeck, Corbyn Janes, Jessica Kozlowski, Clayton Powell, Kathryn Thornton, Tryce Tokar, Abigail Triantaflos, Norah Wilcox, and Joseph Zuniga; from Owosso: Charles Agnew, Addison Collard, Simon Erfourth, Owen Feldpausch, Nicholas McCurdy, Matthew Shattuck, and Makani Tenoria; and from Perry: Robert Brown, Jocelyn Hessling, Will Loos, Tessa Lucas, Jordyn Pangborn, Johnathan Schmidtfranz, and Hazel Stone.

This is the twentieth year of the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook scholarship, which is funded entirely by its namesakes’ endowment.  Past recipients of the Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship have included:  Quinn Skarich from Owosso in 2024, Emily Smith from Chesaning in 2023, Dillan Morell from New Lothrop in 2022, Elizabeth Tolrud from Owosso in 2021, Mason Collard from Owosso and Kyah Ribble from Perry in 2020, Autumn Zwiernik from Laingsburg in 2019, Tyson Moore from Corunna in 2018, Elizabeth Hoornstra from Chesaning in 2017, Mitchell Lawrence from Byron in 2016, Nick Miller from Laingsburg in 2015, Nolan Wendling from New Lothrop in 2014, Emily Feuka from Perry in 2013, Sam Whaley from Perry in 2012, Adam Stewart from Laingsburg in 2011, Valerie Micol from Byron in 2010, Adam Dingens from Corunna in 2009, Randy Piper from Owosso in 2008, Dan Frechtling from Perry in 2007 and Kendra Frye from Owosso in 2006.

For assistance applying to UM, or for more information on scholarships, contact the Foundation.