Pictured left to right, holding the check, are Julie Modene, Dining Services, who presented an award at Reed City High School; Lori Whipple, Dining Services, who presented an award at Morley Stanwood High School; and Melanie Buffin, Residential Life Custodial, who presented an award at Crossroads Charter Academy.
Motivated to help local high school students turn their higher education dreams into reality, Ferris State University’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, Local 1609 has awarded scholarships to students from local school districts.
The $3,000 in scholarships will be awarded to qualifying senior students from Big Rapids, Chippewa Hills, Evart, Morley Stanwood and Reed City high schools as well as Crossroads Charter Academy. Each district selected one recipient to receive the one-time $500 scholarship. The financial assistance is applied directly to tuition expense and/or other costs related to attending Ferris.
“It is our desire to help promote the importance of higher education to our local students at Ferris State University and in local communities,” said Tom Weaver, an employee in Ferris’ Physical Plant who also serves as AFSCME president. “It is with that goal that we are presenting $500 scholarships to worthy student representatives from Big Rapids, Chippewa Hills, Crossroads Charter Academy, Morley Stanwood and Reed City.”
Scholarship candidates must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher upon completion of a seventh semester of high school attendance, have missed no more than 10 days of attendance during the first semester of senior year and to have been accepted into a Ferris academic program by March 1. Candidates must also demonstrate a financial need. Recipients are selected by the appropriate personnel at each of the participating high schools.
The scholarship is funded at $250 per semester of the recipient’s freshman year. Second
semester eligibility is dependent upon the recipient earning a 3.0 GPA or higher during
the first semester at Ferris.
The 2014 AFSCME AFL-CIO, Local 1609 Scholarship Award Winners:
Big Rapids
Jon Spicer
Chippewa Hills
Ryan St. Johns
Crossroads Charter Academy (Big Rapids)
Anika Walton-Stanciel
Evart
Jennifer Devos
Morley Stanwood
Haylie Lenon
Reed City
Mickayla Crandall
The AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Local 1609 has represented the trades including carpenters, electricians, heating, ventilation and air conditioning personnel, painters and plumbers, as well as custodial, food service, grounds, mailroom receiving and transportation employees at Ferris since the mid-1960s.
For more information about the AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Local 1609 Scholarships, contact Ferris Director of Annual Giving Jennifer Yontz at (231) 591-3817 or [email protected].