Class of 2021 Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship Nominees Announced

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Scholarship Nominees (and several parents) attended a University of Michigan Information Event, held at the Owosso Country Club.      Photo credit: Michael D-L Jordan/DLP

Forty-seven 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 Bruce and Jacqueline Cook.

While current COVID-19 restrictions prevented the Cook Family Foundation from hosting a trip to visit the University of Michigan, an outdoor information event was held at the Owosso Country Club for all nominees. The event featured virtual presentations from former scholarship winners, as well as from U-M Admissions Officer, Sam Joustra.  This virtual “tour” covered various parts of both the University’s campus and the city of Ann Arbor, the different U-M Schools and provided important information regarding not only the application process, but also regarding financial aid. 

SEDP President/CEO, Justin Horvath, shares his personal U of M journey with Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship Nominees.                     Photo credit: Michael D-L Jordan/DLP

Special guest speaker, Justin Horvath, President/CEO of the Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership (SEDP), described his personal college search experience and ultimate University of Michigan attendance, noting “You’re all great students, and no matter where you choose to attend college, the University of Michigan or elsewhere, please consider coming back to the Shiawassee Region and putting that top-notch education to work in your own community.”

“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,” said Foundation President Bruce Cook.  “We are committed to the academic success of local students, and are committed to building partnerships with our public schools and our oldest public university.”

Each of the nominees will receive at least a $3,000 scholarship to the University of Michigan from the Cook Family Foundation.  The Cook Family Foundation annually provides a scholarship to any student from the greater Shiawassee region admitted to the University of Michigan.  In addition to scholarships to help students attend the University of MIchigan in Ann Arbor, the Foundation now also provides scholarships to Shiawassee area students who meet the criteria for  the Honors College at UM-Flint or UM-Dearborn.  For assistance applying to UM, or for more information on scholarships, contact the Foundation or visit: cookfamilyfoundation.org/scholarships

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: Jenna Belmas, Evan Glennie, Sarah Marvin, and Regan Kopesky; from Chesaning:  Drew Beckman, Olivia Distelrath, Ethan Kohagen, Allison Oakes, and Weston Powell; from Corunna:  Lauren Aurand and Elizabeth Forbes; from Durand:  Elijah Beland, Goldyn Graham, Isaac Hager, Aidan Loos, Brynn Patsey, and Caila Zusack; from Laingsburg:  Cameron Allen, Abigail Atkinson, Alexandria Claus, Autumn Eyre, Grace Graham, Sierra Price, Ethan Regan, and Dawson Shastal; from New Lothrop:  Grace Adelberg, Matthew Bishop, Drew Kohlmann, Makayla Lienau, Macy Matthews, Jillian Rau, and Danielle Wendling; from Ovid-Elsie:  Abigail Cooper and Jordan Hitchens; from Owosso:  Kelsey Andrykovich, Ethan Coons, Tyler Hoag, Silas Krajniak, William Lavigne, Elizabeth Tolrud, Reyn Tuttle, and Sierra Wisely; and from Perry: Emma Cochrane, Rachel Follman, Parker Lewis, Ethan Smith, and Kyle Taft.

Past recipients of the Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship have included 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 Foster (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 of Owosso in 2006.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workshop July 14

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A peaceful crowd of 200 protestors on June 6 in front of Owosso City Hall

 

Racism is buried deep in America, touching us all, whether we acknowledge it or not.  In 2013, the Cook Family Foundation moved to new offices in a historic downtown Owosso building.  We appreciated the unique architectural appearance, high ceilings, and tall windows.  Little did we know that the building that housed our offices had, in the 1920s, also been the location of the state headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan.

The KKK, an anti-catholic, anti-immigrant group, openly promoted white supremacy and more covertly sought to harass and oppress black people.  Sadly, it was only one of several racist chapters in Owosso’s history that included the forceful eviction of black residents in 1871, the development of the reputation as a “sundown town”, and the daytime visit by a young Malcom X to what his father called “white city.” 

Of course the Cook Family Foundation is not directly part of this legacy, and the Ku Klux Klan no longer has a presence in Shiawassee County.  Recently, several hundred residents joined in a peaceful protest in Owosso against racially motivated police brutality.  But now a question persists: what can we do as a community to overcome the racial biases that are part of our country?  How can we create organizations and a community that celebrates diversity, practices inclusion, and promotes equity? 

As a starting point, the Cook Family Foundation held a workshop on July 14 to help community organizations begin to examine their structure, purposes, and organization to achieve goals of racial and social equity.  The session, presented by Nonprofit Network, helped attendees understand the goals of diversity (the who), inclusion (the how) and equity (the what) as they apply to their organization.  Diversity is more than race, and equity is more than equal treatment; inclusion is “the process of valuing all individuals and leveraging their diverse talent, not in spite of their differences, but because of them.”

This is a start, but no single workshop, protest, or new policy statement will alone overcome the systems of racism, inequity, and bias that underly our community and country.  We believe that our local nonprofit organizations, which have a strong history of service in many areas of community life, can help lead the changes necessary to a more open community that creates opportunity for all.  The Cook Family Foundation has a long-standing commitment to collaboration and helping nonprofits, agencies, and organizations come together to create positive change in our community.

Because income disparities can be as much a barrier as prejudice, we will continue to work with the United Way and other organizations that seek to help those most in economic need. In September, we will be offering a training on “Bridges Out of Poverty” to provide the awareness and tools to comprehensively address the systems which place too many of our neighbors at an economic disadvantage.  We always welcome requests from local nonprofits for help as they take steps to address both racial and economic injustice in Shiawassee County. 

 

Scholarship Winners Announced

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The coronavirus pandemic has made it a difficult time for high school graduates. Still, recognition of the leaders and best in the Shiawassee region remains a priority of the Cook Family Foundation. This spring, 23 young men and women from ten area high schools will receive scholarships to the University of Michigan thanks to the generosity of the Cook family. 

Two students have been awarded one of the highest accolades in the greater Shiawassee County region, the Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, which provides four years of tuition to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  Another 20 students have received scholarships from the Cook Family Foundation, including one recognizing the Foundation’s benefactor, Donald Cook. 

Mason Collard

Mason Collard of Owosso and Kyah Ribble of Perry have both been awarded the prestigious Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, which is funded by its namesakes separately from the Foundation.  Academically accomplished high school seniors in the Shiawassee region are nominated each fall and invited on a trip to Ann Arbor.  Winners are selected based on their educational achievement, leadership, and scholarly promise.  

Mason Collard of Owosso is the son of Jeff and Yvette Collard.  He is the Salutatorian of his class at Owosso High School and was a National Merit Commended Scholar as well as a Shiawassee Scholar.  He also received the Frederick E. Gould and a  Regents Merit Scholarship from the University of Michigan. Mason was a representative at Boys State and ran track and cross country, in which he was a two-time States qualifier. He plans to major in Biology or Microbiology in the hope of working in the field of scientific research.

Kyah Ribble

Kyah Ribble is the daughter of Lee and Nina Ribble. She graduated from Perry High School third in her class and was a National Merit Commended Scholar as well as a Shiawassee Scholar. She was the drum major of the marching band, played volleyball and ran track. Kyah plans to major in physics and work toward a PhD. in experimental particle physics.

The Donald Cook Scholarship was awarded to Kerra Hinrichs of New Lothrop. The Donald Cook Scholarship, endowed by the Cook Family Foundation, is awarded by the University of Michigan to a student attending the College of Literature, Science and the Arts and is named after the 1920 graduate of the University of Michigan who established the Foundation with his wife Florence-etta in 1978. 

Kerra Hinrichs

 

Kerra Hinrichs is the daughter of Jon Hinrichs and Jennifer Pemberton. She is the Valedictorian of the 2020 New Lothrop High School class and a Shiawassee Scholar. She served as president of the New Lothrop student council and the FFA.  Kerra played volleyball and ran track.  She  is interested in pursuing a medical career and will major in pre-med at Michigan.

Of the 23 scholarship recipients from the ten area high schools, seven of them are valedictorians of their class. Scholarship winners are, from Byron Area High School, Brandon Brozich; from Chesaning Union High School, Katrina Pursche; from Corunna High School, Evan Roka; from Durand High School, Jacob Lockhart; from Laingsburg High School, Anne Claus; from Morrice High School, Hayley Lademann and Alina Stinson; from New Lothrop High School, Kerra Hinrichs and Charles Weber; from Ovid-Elsie Area High School, Shayne Loynes, Benjamin Maynard, Noah Payne, and Ella Sheedlo; from Owosso High School, Mason Collard, Kathleen Dignan, Lynnae Gilman, Noah Jafri, Avery Peplinski, Lucille Popovitch, William Scrimger, and Jorden Sowash, and from Perry High School, Lindsey Bixler and Kyah Ribble.

Two of the scholarship winners, Lucille Popovitch and Charles Weber, graduated from high school in 2019, but deferred their enrollment for one year to pursue experiences in foreign countries.  

The May 11th dinner to recognize scholarship winners and their families has been cancelled this year. Prof. Anne Curzan, Dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts was intending to speak.  The Cook Family Foundation was later able to hold an alternate outdoor scholarship reception, bringing back a 1993 scholarship recipient, Kellie (Durling) Grasman to speak about her Michigan experience and the paths her 1997 UM Graduation has taken her on. “We wanted to celebrate these outstanding students and send them off to college with the recognition they deserve,” said Foundation President Bruce Cook.

While most of the students plan on attending the University of MIchigan in Ann Arbor this fall, one student will be attending UM-Flint and two students will be attending UM-Dearborn.  The Foundation provides scholarship support to high-achieving students attending any of the University of Michigan campuses.  Learn more on our Scholarship Pages