Leaders and Best Nominated for Scholarships

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Photo Credit: Michael D-L Jordan/DLP

The Shiawassee County region’s top 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.

In order to assist them with their college selection, thirty-four of the nominees recently attended an overnight trip to the University of Michigan where they met with admission officers, took a tour of the campus and stadium, attended a class, and had the opportunity to 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,” 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.  In addition to these nominees, the Cook Family Foundation provides a scholarship to every local student who applies to the University of Michigan, is admitted, and then enrolls.  

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: Brandon Brozich; from Chesaning:  Julia Bishop, Emma Bohn, Shannon Glaser, Traci Martin, Lauren Mason, Katrina Pursche, and Julia Skaryd; from Corunna: Jaylee Carpenter, Gurleen Chauhan, Elizabeth Norris, and Evan Roka; from Durand: Adrian Eggleston, Drew Jones, Jacob Lockhart, and Haley Zdunic; from Laingsburg:  Anne Claus and Samuel Marshall; from Morrice: Alina Stinson; from New Lothrop: Kerra Hinrichs and Chloe Krupp; from Ovid-Elsie: Madeline Gavenda, Drew Ingraham, Shayne Loynes, Benjamin Maynard, Kaitlyn McGroarty, Ella Sheedlo, and Ezra Valentine; from Owosso: Mason Collard, Kathleen Dignan, Lynnae Gilman, Ashtyn Guru, Avery Peplinski, William Scrimger, Jorden Sowash, and Hannah Walters; and from Perry: Lindsey Bixler, Ryan O’Neill, and Kyah Ribble.

Past recipients of the Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholarship have included 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 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.

Foundation has awarded 838 scholarships in 39 years

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This fall, the Cook Family Foundation is entering its fortieth year of awarding scholarships. Since 1980, more than 800 students have received a scholarship from the Foundation to the University of Michigan.

Although Michigan is very selective, the Cook Family Foundation strives to help prospective students every step of the way. From scholarships and guidance, to trips to see U of M, we hope to help students be the best candidates for admissions they can be.

This, however, does not mean admission will be guaranteed. Every year, almost twice as many students apply to the University from Shiawassee County than are admitted. The graph below shows the application trends from the Shiawassee Area since 2012, with blue lines being the applicants from the area, red being admitted and yellow being the number attending. 

Now what might these numbers mean for a high school student from Shiawassee? It may look daunting, but it shows that it’s entirely possible to be admitted. There have been 32 students from Shiawassee admitted on average each year. 

On average, 85% of the students who apply to Michigan that were nominated for the Bruce and Jackie Cook scholarship are admitted to the University. What this means is that if a student is nominated for the scholarship, we believe they have what it takes to be admitted; but the decision is ultimately up to the University.

If you are, or know, a high school student who thinks they have what it takes to get into the University of Michigan, don’t hesitate to contact us!  Read the relevant pages on our website to learn more about our scholarship process. 

This post, and the research behind it, is the work of Jake Bacigal, Owosso HIgh Class of 2018 and now an engineering student at UM.  He was one of several of this year’s Owosso Fellows serving as interns for local organizations,

Leaders and Best Serving in Shiawassee County

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Eight University of Michigan students are spending their summer back home in Shiawassee County working for community organizations, thanks to the Cook Family Foundation’s Owosso Fellows program.  The Foundation provides funding to community nonprofits to hire UM students, who were scholarship recipients from the Foundation, for a summer internship.  The students get an opportunity to explore career paths, investigate real-world issues, and learn about themselves. Community organizations get to employ the skills and intelligence of students from one of the nation’s top universities, who happen to have grown up nearby.

The Owosso Fellows get together three times during the summer to share their insights and reflect on their experiences.  In August, the Fellows will meet the public at the Armory and put on display their summer learnings.

The eight Owosso Fellows are

Jaiden Sowash, Owosso High School – working for the Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership

Brayden Bitterman, New Lothrop High School – working for the Shiawassee Regional Chamber of Commerce

Rebecca Huska, Owosso High School – working for DeVries Nature Conservancy

Mike Kieffer, New Lothrop High School – working for the Shiawassee County Health Department

Ramneet Chauhan, Corunna High School – working for the Owosso Medical Group

Jake Bacigal, Owosso High School – working for the Cook Family Foundation

Paden Graham, Laingsburg High School – working for the Arc Mid-Michigan

Nick Mazzara, Durand High School – working for Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee County