We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the Bay Commitment Scholarship recipients of 2024! The Bay Area Community Foundation (BACF) is proud to recognize 100 graduating seniors from Bay County high schools who have been awarded a $2,000 scholarship to attend either Delta College or Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU). This scholarship program supports first generation college students who will be pursuing their higher education locally, providing them with valuable opportunities to pursue their academic dreams.
Over the past 17 years, the Bay Commitment program has invested more than $3 million in supporting local students pursuing higher education. This incredible support is made possible by the dedication and generosity of donors who recognize the significance of education in our community. Diane Mahoney, President & CEO of Bay Area Community Foundation, expresses deep gratitude to these donors for their invaluable contributions that help students achieve their academic dreams.
On Tuesday, May 18, 2023, we celebrated these students at the Bay Commitment Scholarship Ceremony. The ceremony featured inspiring messages from the presidents of Bay Area Community Foundation, Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University. Additionally, Amanda Johnson, a 2009 Bay Commitment recipient, spoke to our 2024 scholars, sharing her educational journey and the impact of the scholarship program.
We also heard from Student Success Advisor, Anderson Bearden. Anderson, collaborating with Aaron Faist from BACF, is implementing the Summer Success program. This program is designed to make the move from high school to college easier for Bay Commitment Scholarship recipients. Students will be able to garner resources and help with academics, tuition costs, academic timelines, and life circumstances through Summer Success.
The Bay Commitment Scholarship plays a vital role in supporting local students who are the first in their families to pursue a college education. To be eligible, students must be graduating from a Bay County high school and reside in Bay County. By providing financial assistance, this program enables students to attend Delta College or SVSU and sets them on a path to success. Furthermore, recipients who choose to attend SVSU will also be eligible for a renewable $1,000 scholarship for their second, third and fourth years of study. You can learn more about this program here; https://completeadvising.com/bcssa/.
We are delighted to introduce the deserving students who have been awarded the Bay Commitment Scholarship in 2024. These young individuals have shown exceptional dedication and commitment to their education. Their names and the high schools they represent are as follows:
Emmaleigh Ackels, Pinconning High School
Ava Adcock, Bay City Western High School
Jacob Andrews, John Glenn High School
Sydney Armstrong, Bay City Western High School
Austin Barkell, John Glenn High School
Alexis Betzold, John Glenn High School
Mahlee Bigelow, John Glenn High School
Jared Bouckaert, John Glenn High School
Destiny Brannon, Bay Arenac Community High School
Riley Brewer, Bay City Western High School
Isabelle Bridgewater, John Glenn High School
Josslynn Bromberg, Bay Arenac Community High School
Jackson Clark, Bay City Western High School
Kaitlyn Czerwinski, Bay City Academy
Alaysia Davis, Bay City Central High School
Emma Davis, Garber High School
Samantha Denham, Garber High School
Morgan Dennison, Pinconning High School
Sophie Dittenber, Pinconning High School
Mackensie Dore, Bay City Western High School
Brennen Driscoll, Bay City Academy
Elissa Duma, Bay City Western High School
Emily EauClaire, John Glenn High School
Mackenzie Eilf, Pinconning High School
Marissa Ellsworth, Pinconning High School
Fayth Ferrer, Bay City Central High School
Olivia Firman, Bay City Academy
Alexis Forster, John Glenn High School
Skyler French, Bay City Western High School
Aashna Gandhi, Bay City Western High School
Sophia Gasta, Bay City Western High School
Carrie Gilbert, Bay City Western High School
Wyatt Greene, John Glenn High School
Hannah Grzegorczyk, Garber High School
Katie Harthausen, Garber High School
Gavin Herzberg, Bay City Western High School
Elise Hine, Bay City Western High School
Seth Holsinger, John Glenn High School
Mandi Houthoofd, Garber High School
Abagail Howard, John Glenn High School
Alexandria Johnson, Bay City Central High School
Makenzie Klemm-Mammel, Garber High School
Gavin Knochel, Bay City Western High School
Cohen Kornoely, Bay City Western High School
Kyle Krohn, Garber High School
Isabella LaCourse, Bay City Western High School
Domanick Lawrence, John Glenn High School
Meadow Leachman, Bay City Central High School
Logan Love, Garber High School
Zoe Lucio, John Glenn High School
Aubri Lydic, John Glenn High School
Rachel Mammel, Bay City Western High School
Madison Martin, Bay City Western High School
Madisyn Matthews, John Glenn High School
Morgan McNalley, John Glenn High School
Jacob Meier, Bay City Academy
Keagan Menerey, Bay Arenac Community High School
Mikayla Merithew, Pinconning High School
Zachary Michalak, Garber High School
Alivia Michalski, Garber High School
Prince O’Loughlin, Bay City Western High School
Hannah Page, John Glenn High School
Aubrey Palmer, John Glenn High School
Naomi Parish, Garber High School
Skylar Pichan, Bay City Western High School
Xavier Pippins, Bay City Central High School
Grace Pratt, Bay City Western High School
Shelby Rajewski, Bay City Western High School
Kylie Ratajczak, Bay City Western High School
Grace Rehmus, Garber High School
Alexandra Reyes, Bay City Western High School
Brooklynn Rigg, Garber High School
Cody Ruiz, John Glenn High School
Ian Russell, Garber High School
Kennedy Ryczek, John Glenn High School
Connor Schmidt, Bay City Academy
Rachel Schoen, Garber High School
Laken Schwerin, Bay City Western High School
Sydney Simon, Bay City Central High School
Jade Smith, John Glenn High School
Mackenzie Snyder, John Glenn High School
Kendra Stone, Bay City Central High School
Miranda Strye, John Glenn High School
Alexis Studer, Bay City Western High School
Adalynn Sugden, John Glenn High School
Tien Trinh, John Glenn High School
Whytt VanHurk, Bay City Academy
Emma Vanwormer, Bay City Central High School
Linsey Verbowski, Bay City Western High School
Lexi Volders, Pinconning High School
Shelby Volders, Pinconning High School
Kaylee Wald, John Glenn High School
Anthony Westenburg, Bay Arenac Community High School
Jordann Whittaker, John Glenn High School
Cadence Winquest, Pinconning High School
Hailey Wojciechowski, Bay City Western High School
Mackenzie Wright, John Glenn High School
Grace Wrzesinski, John Glenn High School
Sarah Wynne, Garber High School
Calianna Ziegelmann, John Glenn High School
We encourage you to join us in celebrating the success of these remarkable scholarship recipients during Scholarship Week beginning June 2, 2024 on BACF’s Facebook page.
To learn more about the Bay Commitment Scholarship program and how you can contribute to its success, please contact Diane Mahoney at Bay Area Community Foundation at 989-893-4438.
I am proud to serve my community through my role at BACF. As a Program Officer, I collaborate with nonprofit, government, church, and school partners in Bay and Arenac counties to navigate our grant opportunities and find the right funding alignment. From project conception to post-award, I am your main contact for all things grants. Connecting organizations and donors who share the same vision and passion is at the heart of my work.
