Scholarship Winners Honored

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The Cook Family Foundation held a reception last night announcing 21 area high school seniors from 10 high schools have been awarded scholarships in various amounts to the University of Michigan.  The merit scholarships awarded by the Foundation and the University of Michigan totaled $159,500.

One student was awarded one of the highest accolades in the greater Shiawassee County region, the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, which provides four years of tuition to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  An additional 20 students have received scholarships from the Cook Family Foundation, including one recognizing the Foundation’s benefactor, Donald Cook.  “It is great to get to celebrate in-person with these outstanding students, and give them some recognition for maneuvering through this pandemic so successfully academically–they certainly deserve it!”  said President, Bruce Cook.

Elizabeth Tolrud of Owosso was awarded the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, which is funded by its namesakes separately from the Foundation.  High school seniors in the Shiawassee region are nominated each fall and pre-pandemic students are normally invited on a trip to Ann Arbor. Winners are selected based on their educational achievement, leadership and scholarly promise. 

Elizabeth is the daughter of Michael and Carol Tolrud. She is the valedictorian of her class at Owosso High School and was an area top-scorer on  her SAT’s  as well as a Shiawassee Scholar. She also received a Regents Merit Scholarship from the University of Michigan.  She is President of the Shiawassee Youth Advisory Council, Senior Vice-President of Student Government, President of Model United Nations, Treasurer of the National Honor Society, and a section and squad leather in the award-winning OHS Marching Band.  Elizabeth is enrolled in the Honors College of the Literature Sciences and Arts School at the University of Michigan and wishes to pursue a career in the environmental field, leading to a career as an environmental consultant, engineer or urban planner. 

 

The Donald Cook Scholarship was awarded to Jordan Hitchens of Ovid-Elsie. 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 1924 graduate of the University of Michigan who established the Foundation with his wife Florence-etta in 1978.  This is a four-year scholarship worth $20,000. 

Jordan Hitchens is the daughter of William and Miranda Hitchens. Jordan is the valedictorian of her class and has had significant academic accomplishments at her school, with AP and dual enrollment classes through Lansing Community College.  She intends to pursue a degree in Psychology with plans to attend medical school in the future to study psychiatry.  In addition to being an excellent student, Jordan is an accomplished artist and has been involved with the National Art Honor Society; she is currently the President of that organization.  She plans to continue with the arts at UM as well as taking advantage of the excitement and diversity of Ann Arbor.  “We are confident she will go on to great things,” noted Tom Cook as he presented her with the Donald Cook Scholarship.

Of the 21 scholarship recipients from the ten area high schools, six are valedictorians of their class and thirteen of them are Shiawassee Scholars. Scholarship winners include, from Byron Area High School, Sarah Marvin; from Chesaning Union High School, Ethan Kohagen; from Corunna High School, Isabel Rau; from Durand Area High School:  Elijah Beland, Goldyn Graham, Mackenzie Pancheck, and Brynn Patsey; from Laingsburg High School,: Cameron Allen, Grace Graham, Ethan Regan, and Dawson Shastal; from Morrice High School, Owen Latunski; from New Lothrop High School:  Grace Adelberg and Matthew Bishop; from Ovid-Elsie Area High School, Jordan Hitchens; from Owosso High School, Ruthie Dignan, Silas Krajniak, Isaac Taylor, Elizabeth Tolrud, and Reyn Tuttle; and from Perry High School, Parker Lewis.

The aforementioned reception to recognize scholarship winners and their families was held at the Owosso Country Club. Honorees had the additional honor of Dr. Anne Curzan, Dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts as the guest speaker. Dean Curzan is a trained linguist who dedicated an earlier strand of her distinguished career studying how the english language “got to be the way it is”.  Along the way she has received numerous awards for outstanding research and undergraduate teaching.  Today she is dedicated to making the LSA school a model of a liberal arts college within a top-ranked research university.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale and Masters and PHD from U of M.

While these students plan on attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor this fall, a number of other students will be attending UM-Flint (to be announced separately later). The Foundation provides scholarship support to high-achieving students attending any of the University of Michigan campuses.  You can learn more about these and all of our scholarships at:  https://www.cookfamilyfoundation.org/scholarships/

Civic Engagement: Grant Proposals Sought

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The Cook Family Foundation is seeking grant proposals to help promote civic engagement and community spirit. We know that in Shiawassee County we can work together to accomplish good things for our community: feeding our neighbors in need, educating our children, building a playground, cleaning up a river, starting or supporting a local business, or putting on a play or art show. 

In 1948, President Truman meets with Owosso native Thomas Dewey, then New York Governor, at the dedication of Idlewild Airport. It was the first meeting between the two candidates after their respective nominations for President.

Partisanship and ideological differences are making it hard for people to come together for the greater good.  A year without public gatherings, a divisive election, and lingering racism have furthered challenged our country and our community. When a protest on January 6 turned into an assault on our nation’s Capitol, the danger to our democracy became clear.  How now do we rebuild faith in our system of government and bridge our partisan differences?  If we want to do great things in our community we need to be able overcome our divisions and find ways to work together.

A functioning, inclusive, democratic society depends on many things, none of which we should take for granted.  We are looking for creative ways to help our local nonprofits, civic organizations, schools and local governments rebuild democracy at the local level and strengthen our community. We are looking to promote citizenship, among those of voting age as well as our youth, who are future participants in democracy.   

The best projects will engage people, make them think or learn anew, foster conversation, and  renew commitment to our many democratic institutions. Of course, the project should avoid partisanship or  political posturing.  If the initiative furthers the mission of a local nonprofit (all of which make our community stronger), that’s even better.  And as always, we find our most successful grants are ones that involve collaboration and/or leverage funds from outside the community. 

Here are some ideas, and possible goals, for projects, but we are open to your initiative:

History of Democracy – our community has an active electorate that has mirrored national attitudes.  In 1948, local voters went for Owosso native Thomas E. Dewey, who lost to Harry Truman in the Presidential election.  But since then, voters in Shiawassee County have voted for the winning presidential candidate in 16 out 18 elections. What does our history tell us about democracy?  What lessons can we learn from presidential elections as well as local candidates who championed bi-partisan problem solving?  Goal: a wider appreciation of our long history of involvement in the democratic system

Democracy in Action (Civic Engagement) – our constitutional democracy presumes active, informed voters participating in local, state and national elections. Without faith in the results of elections, citizens will be less likely to vote and our democracy will not function as designed.   How do we ensure that citizens know how elections work, and can have confidence in the outcome of elections? How can we help them be aware and effective voters?  Goal:  Informed voters having confidence in the electoral system and engaged in democracy

Access to Democracy – one of the founding, and evolving, principles of American democracy is full participation of all citizens in the system.  It has taken over 200 years, but more and more citizens are now active in our democracy, including former slaves, women, and other groups who were originally excluded from the franchise.  How do we increase access to the electoral process for all Americans?  How do we encourage, educate, and celebrate voters? Goal:  Involvement and support for voter participation efforts 

Rights and Responsibilities – The US Constitution and its amendments have, from the beginning, articulated inviolate rights. Efforts by citizens to more fully claim these rights have advanced our democracy, but have also engendered resistance and controversy. How do we exercise our rights, but in a way that reflects our responsibilities as citizens at the same time? Goal: Expand our constitutional knowledge to support democracy and civil society

Non-Violence and the Rule of Law – the history of political protest in the US and elsewhere has been intertwined with a commitment to non-violence. How do we advance political and social goals without harming others or spurring violence? How do we advance the rule of law as an alternative to the raw exercise of power? Goal: Support for legitimate efforts to achieve social goals without resorting to conflict

Community Conversations – after a year of isolation and division, how can we begin to come together again and have productive conversations?  It is particularly important to have conversations across party lines, about difficult topics, and that lead to positive change. Goal:  Foster healthy conversations, build relationships, and strengthen the community

If you have an idea, please write a short statement outlining your proposal, your goals for the community, and your partners.  Please send to tom@cookfamilyfoundation.org and we will get back to you within 7 days to schedule a conversation. 

Foundation Makes Grants to Support Local Nonprofits

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With the difficult year of 2020 behind us, the Cook Family Foundation is pleased to announce $90,959 in grants to Shiawassee nonprofit organizations to help them finish the year in the best position to survive and thrive in 2021.  These grants were in addition to $43,042 in COVID-related emergency grants earlier this year.

“It has been a tough year for local nonprofits, just as it has been for our small businesses” said Tom Cook, Executive Director of the Cook Family Foundation.  “We knew that helping them out would help out our community.  We know many people have given extra to local nonprofits this year, and we wanted to do our part.”

The grants, averaging about $7,000 each, were given to 15 local nonprofits and the Genesee United Way which serves Shiawassee County. The first grants in March and April helped several nonprofits respond to pressing community needs; an additional $15,000 was provided to the United Way to help address the health and economic emergency. “Several community groups serve those in need, and we wanted to help them provide food, personal protection equipment (PPE), and other support,” said Cook. Grants were made to Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee, the Arc of Mid-Michigan, the Downtown Owosso Farmer’s Market, and Durand Union Station.

“We were particularly proud to support the initiative of the Durand Union Station,” Cook commented in noting how the railroad history center helped organize volunteers to make masks, used their facility as a drop-off site, and worked with others to distribute masks and other PPE to those who could not access them.  “This is the kind of commitment and creativity we see from our local nonprofits all the time.”

The latest set of grants were designed to help nonprofits make investments that would enable them to finish out the year strong and prepare to thrive in 2021.  Those receiving grants included:

  • Arc Mid-Michigan to directly assist students and adults with developmental disabilities;
  • DeVries Nature Conservancy to make up for several cancelled fundraising events;
  • Friends of the Shiawassee River to expand virtual and online educational offerings for students;
  • Girls on the Run to overcome COVID-related difficulties in providing empowerment programs;
  • Lebowsky Center for the Performing Arts to make technology upgrades;
  • Shiawassee Arts Center to continue their partnership with the Shiawassee Council on Aging to provide art activities for seniors in their residences;
  • SafeCenter to help manage the delays and difficult accounting of federal grant programs;
  • Shiawassee Family YMCA to serve as a community hub for food distribution and programming; 
  • Shiawassee Humane Society to draw up plans for facility upgrades;
  • Shiawassee Regional Chamber to support memberships for local nonprofits;
  • Voices for Children for operating costs and building improvements.

All of the nonprofits receiving grants serve Shiawassee County residents, and many have deep roots in the community.  “Our region has a tremendous group of nonprofits with active volunteers and committed board members,” observed Tom Cook, “They add greatly to the strength of our community and the quality of life for all of us.”  

The Cook Family Foundation operates a Nonprofit Capacity Building program which provides consulting advice, technical assistance, training, and strategic planning to Shiawassee-based nonprofits.  “I would like to give special recognition to the Executive Directors and other nonprofit staff who have not only survived 2020, but have found ways to advance the mission of their organization in very difficult circumstances.”  To help nonprofits grow in expertise, efficiency, and effectiveness, the Foundation offers regular workshops and gatherings of local board members and staff.  See our Events page for upcoming trainings and networking sessions.  

The Cook Family Foundation was established in 1979 by Donald and Florence-etta Cook to serve as both a resource for the Shiawassee region and a catalyst for positive change.  The Foundation also invests in educational programs and provides scholarships for area students to attend the University of Michigan.

Some of the routines from this year are worth keeping into 2021