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Incoming Freshman Thankful for Rosa Parks Scholars Support

PhotoSakyra Fulton, a 2021 graduate of Cedar Springs High School will study Mechanical Engineering Technology at Ferris State University, as one of 40 Rosa Parks Scholars from across the state of Michigan. These scholarship recipients earned recognition as students who embody the legacy of the civil rights icon.

A 2021 Cedar Springs High School graduate will pursue her dreams at Ferris State University with the support of the Detroit News Foundation, as Sakyra Fulton was one of 40 Michigan students honored as a Rosa Parks Scholar.
Fulton, who will study Mechanical Engineering Technology, said a caseworker informed her about the Rosa Parks Scholars Program, founded in 1980 by The Detroit News and the Detroit Public School district.

“I was glad to get some help in completing the application process, which included submitting an essay on a major social issue I felt was important,” Fulton said. “Earlier this year, I was excited to learn I was selected by the scholarship foundation board as a Class of 2021 recipient.”

Fulton and the other 2021 scholars each receive a $2,000 non-renewable scholarship. The foundation cited the recipients as young people who embody the legacy of Parks, who lived and worked in Detroit following her 1955 protest that spearheaded the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott. The U.S. Congress declared Rosa Parks “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement.” Fulton graduated early from Cedar Springs High and worked while attending the school to help meet the costs of her college education.

“This scholarship was a very important part of pursuing my goal to earn a degree without taking on a significant amount of debt,” Fulton said. “I am a bit nervous about becoming a college student and following my course of study, but I am also confident I can do what is necessary to be successful. I am excited to join others in my family who have experienced higher education and am proud to have this opportunity.”

In previous years, the scholars were welcomed to a celebratory dinner and event, but in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual event with featured essay readings took place at the end of June.