Schoolcraft College Vision Newsletter

ARWA’S JOURNEY TO BECOMING THIS YEAR’S FOUNDATION SCHOLAR

Arwa, a young woman from an immigrant family, has always dreamed of pursuing higher education. Her mother, who never had the opportunity to get an education, wished she had been taught to read and write in her Yemeni village, where girls rarely attended school. Despite facing the challenges of her father’s limited education and his demanding work as a seafarer, her mother was determined to ensure Arwa received an education. Arwa fondly remembered the long and challenging journeys she and her mother made, braving all types of weather to get her to school. When Arwa graduated high school, she became the first female in her family to achieve such a milestone. With unwavering determination, she enrolled at a university without a clear career path. Eventually, she transferred to Schoolcraft College during the COVID-19 pandemic after researching and talking to others about the outstanding nursing program. Arwa had always been fascinated by the medical field, accompanying her mother to hospitals and serving as her translator. After experiencing the critical difference it made as she started her own family, she decided to pursue sonography, a specialty that ignited her passion.

CELEBRATING PHILANTHROPY The Schoolcraft College Foundation’s annual June Donor Celebration recognized donors joining the Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Society ; reaching new levels of the Bell Tower Society ; and those donors who created named funds to support students and programs across campus. The

following individuals, businesses, and organizations were recognized as inductees to these societies and/or starting a new fund between July 2022 and June 2023. Thank you to the entire Schoolcraft community for your generosity!

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Society Honors those donors who included Schoolcraft College in their estate plans:

Benefactors Circle - $50,000 - 99,999 Alpha USA American Association of University Women-Livonia Branch Radhakrishnan Mariappasamy John R. Sigworth The Fonville-Shoemaker Family Foundation Friends Circle - $25,000 - 49,999 Dr. Glenn R. & Leslie W. Cerny CTI and Associates, Inc Charles and Renee Dardas Daughters of the American Revolution John Sackett Chapter The Gebhardt Family Integrated Design Solutions Coley A. McLean David & Dawnmarie Ozog

Associates Circle - $10,000 - 24,999 William and Janet Johnston Family Foundation Gary Kolasa National Food Group Gnanadesikan & Gomathy Ramanujam Ram & Lakshmi Ramanujam Rengaswamy Srinivasan Family & Friends William & Pamela Rushlow Stacy & Jeremy Whiddon Zeimet Wozniak & Associates, Inc New Funds Established (between July 2022 & June 2023) Asian Indian Woman’s Association Scholarship Carol M. Strom Scholarship Award Christopher Hampton Memorial Scholarship Fund

CTI & Associates, Inc. Endowed Scholarship Dr. Ellappan Veeraragava Endowed Scholarship Fund Focal Point Scholarship Fund Friedrichs/Bowman Scholarship Fund Hinkle Center Advancement Fund Mariappasamy Family Scholarship Fund Nancy Saunders Endowed Nursing Scholarship Ocelot Women’s Basketball & Ocelot Volleyball Funds Ramanujam Family Endowed Advancement Fund Rengaswamy Srinivasan Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund

John & Cheryl Goddard Dick & Ann McDowell Bell Tower Society

This Society acknowledges the distinguished history of giving by recognizing cumulative giving at six different giving circles: Fellows Circle - $1M+ Ballmer Group Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Founders Circle - $500,000 - 999,999 Jean Pike Pacesetters Circle - $100,000 - 249,999 James & Carol Ann Fausone MASCO Corporation

interview with members of the Foundation’s Board of Governors and staff. Of hundreds of applications, only five are chosen as finalists to interview, and one award is made. Throughout her last year at Schoolcraft, Arwa will work with the Foundation as an advocate and ambassador for all the resources Schoolcraft has to offer students seeking an education and a better life. Arwa is eager to share her gratitude with every donor to the Schoolcraft Foundation who invests in education by making a gift. With scholarship support, her dream of education will be fulfilled, and she will be forever grateful for everyone’s belief in her abilities.

Arwa was dedicated to her studies, even taking exams with a newborn in her arms. Now a second-year student, Arwa will graduate in August 2024 with an associate degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. She believes her success will inspire her daughter and other women in her family and community, showing them that hard work and determination can break cultural and societal barriers. Arwa was selected through a competitive application process to become the 2023-2024 Foundation Scholar in June. It is the most prestigious of the Foundation’s scholarships, requiring an application and a committee

Shiksha Scholarship Fund Winom James & Charlotte

(Charlie) Mahoney Advancement Fund

Summer 2023 | 11

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