At its 121st Annual Banquet on June 15, the Schoolcraft Alumni Association announced scholarship awards totaling $6,500 to six 2019 graduates. “Selecting scholarship recipients each year is a difficult task because applicants typically have a great GPA and are involved in service learning, athletics, and/or other extracurricular activities,” noted association secretary Sue Hendriksma. “Some even manage to work part-time. Additionally, applicants must provide a reference from someone who knows them well, generally a teacher or mentor.”
Alumni Association scholarships, supported by association members, were awarded to Olivia Ingles, Halle Phelps and Joshua Wujkowski. Schoolcraft businesses Chem Link, Concept Molds, Kalamazoo County State Bank, Mullins Business Service and Schoolcraft Veterinary Clinic also provided donations to support 2019 graduates. Three companies sponsored specialized scholarships, which require a higher level of support. The Chem Link scholarship was awarded to Brice Walther; the Concept Molds scholarship was awarded to Connor Nutt; the Schoolcraft Veterinary Clinic scholarship was awarded to Abigail Pincumbe.
Olivia Ingles plans to attend the University of Kentucky with a major in Human Resources. Halle Phelps plans to attend Olivet Nazarene to pursue an education degree. Joshua Wujkowski plans to attend Western Michigan University to major in business.
Brice Walther plans to attend Michigan State University to study crop and soil science and agribusiness. Connor Nutt will study finance at WMU, where he has been accepted into the Lee Honors College. Abigail Pincumbe will attend Grand Valley State University to major in respiratory therapy.
The first Schoolcraft Alumni Association scholarship was presented in 1988. In most years since, one or more scholarships have been awarded to selected graduating seniors. Including the 2019 recipients, 94 Schoolcraft High School seniors have received scholarships from the Alumni Association in various amounts that total just over $44,500. Each year, a list of all scholarship recipients is displayed at the banquet and other events.
Seniors must apply through the school using the alumni application criteria, which take into consideration not only their GPA but extracurricular activities and service projects. Students are required to provide a short essay in their application. The executive committee determines how much can be awarded in a given year based on donations received over the last year. The scholarship committee screens all applicants and determines who receives the awards.
The Schoolcraft Alumni Association encourages its members to remember that the students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. “Pay it forward!” Hendriksma exclaimed.