Cook Family Announces Scholarship Winners

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Twenty-seven of the leaders and best from the greater Shiawassee area have been awarded scholarships to attend the University of Michigan.  While all of the students have outstanding academic records, two students received special scholarships.  Mitchell Lawrence, valedictorian of Byron High School was awarded the Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship and Mary Basso, valedictorian of Owosso High School, was awarded the Donald Cook scholarship.

Mitchell Lawrence, son of Jon and Christina Lawrence, has been admitted to the Taubman College of Architecture and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Mitchell is the president of the student council and national honor society at Byron High School, and he has been dual-enrolled this past year at Lansing Community College taking upper level classes in Japanese, calculus and other subjects.  The Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, funded by the namesakes, is four-year full tuition scholarship.

Mary Basso, daughter of Daniel and Tamara Basso, will be attending the Residential College at the University of Michigan studying French and looking for opportunities in international studies.  Mary serves as the president of several organizations: key club, environmental club, quiz bowl, and the student body.  She has taken an impressive 13 AP classes in her high school career.  The Donald Cook Scholarship, named after the founder of the Cook Family Foundation, provides $5,000 a year for four years. 

Full list of scholarship winners.  The Cook Family Foundation provides a scholarship to every student from the greater Shiawassee County region that attends the University of Michigan.  This year, award winners were from Byron Area High School:  Kaila Daley, Grant Floto, and Mitchell Lawrence; from Chesaning Union High School:  Ryan Brian, Cameron Cross, and Anthony Edgar; from Corunna High School: Alexander Backus, Brooke Brandt, Nicholas Mars, Arionna Stockinger, and Conner Svrcek; from Durand Area High School:  Jason Cottrell and Tatianna Fraley; from Laingsburg High School:  Katrina Granger and Tristan Merchant; from New Lothrop High School:  Harrison Miller and Hannah Thomas; from Ovid-Elsie High School:  Clayton Alaga, Conner Applebee, Addison Hymer, and Emma Phillipson; from Owosso High School:  Mary Basso, Rebecca Huska, and Valentina Larrivey; and from Perry High School:  Breanna Bixler, Micah Johnson, and Robert Massie.
In addition, the University of Michigan provides financial aid to all students from Michigan to meet their financial need above their expected family contribution.  You can learn more about the application process, scholarships and financial aid on our website (click here).

Sam Whaley enjoys success at UM, and abroad

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Sam Whaley, the 2012 recipient of the Bruce & Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, is graduating this spring, and will then be headed to graduate school in Chicago.  After helping out on a study abroad program in Spain this spring, Sam will start a 10 month program at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.  He has received a $25,000 scholarship to help him get his degree in Management Studies.

The Perry High School graduate, was recently one of only 30 students recognized as an James B Angell scholar for seven or more consecutive semesters. UM President Mark Schlissel and Provost Martha Pollock personally congratulated Sam for receiving all A’s while taking a full course load throughout his entire undergraduate experience.

Sam majored in International Studies with a concentration on Global Health and the Environment as well as Romance Languages: Spanish and French.  His academic interests were perhaps sparked by overseas programs in high school that were in part funded through the Shiawassee Scholars program.  During his undergraduate education, Sam took advantage of study abroad options and travelled to Spain, France, and Argentina.

At Michigan, Sam served on the executive board for Timmy Global Health, a student organization that advocates for global health, fundraises for the chapter’s partner in the Dominican Republic, and volunteers regularly on campus and annually in Mao, their partner city. He was also a research assistant at the Center for Sexuality and Health Disparities in the School of Nursing and School of Public Health and worked at the Center for Global and Intercultural Study (LSA’s study abroad office) as a Peer Adviser.

“We are very proud of Sam’s accomplishments at the University of Michigan,” said Foundation President Bruce Cook.  “When we met him at Perry High School, we knew he would go on to do great things.  He has represented Shiawassee County well in Ann Arbor and around the world. We look forward his next great accomplishment.”

NonProfit Workshops in 2016

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Ar386480_305655069471455_571129733_ne you a board member, volunteer or staff member of a Shiawassee nonprofit organization?  Then the upcoming workshops offered through the NonProfit Capacity Building program are for you.  Designed to improve the effectiveness of your organization, the workshops will provide helpful ideas and advice about volunteer management, fundraising on-line, grant-writing and leadership at both the board and staff level. Workshops are three-hours long, offered at a variety of times, and include a meal.  A schedule and description of workshops can be found on our “events” page.  There is no charge for members of the Shiawassee Nonprofit Capacity Building Program to attend these workshops.  This page describes the program and its eligibility requirements. Existing members are listed here.