Grand Haven, MI (WGHN) – The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation (GHACF) recently held their annual Scholarship Ice Cream Social, celebrating 2024 scholarship recipients, their families, and the generous donors who established scholarship funds.
In all, over $910,000 in scholarships were awarded to 234 area students through the GHACF, Allendale Community Foundation (ACF), and Coopersville Area Community Foundation (CACF) competitive scholarship program, as well as funds held by the Foundation.
Luke Glasgow, a graduate of Spring Lake High School and recipient of the Mary E. Wilsberg Scholarship, shared as recipients, “the scholarships remind us that even when we leave, and find a new home, we still have people here that support us. Some may be going further away than others, but all of us are entering new communities on some level, which can be scary, and difficult. It is quite a comforting feeling to remember the community back home that continues to support us.”
With a commitment to supporting students for two or four years, 26 students received the first of multiyear scholarship installments. In addition, overall award packages for those scholarships awarded by the Foundation continue to increase with this year’s recipients receiving an average of $2,987!
“We are incredibly grateful to our donors for allowing us the ability to provide financial assistance for education to students and families each year,” said Hadley Streng, GHACF President. She added, “The Scholarship Social is our way of honoring both those who established scholarship funds and those who receive them, and what better way to come together to celebrate than with ice cream from Sweet Temptations?”
Scholarships are awarded based on varying criteria including financial need, academic achievements, field of study, and whether a student is the first in their family to continue their education after high school. This year, 82% of first-generation student applicants received scholarships.
The GHACF 2025 scholarship application opens in early December 2024. For more information, visit ghacf.org/scholarships.
About the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation For more than a half-century, the GHACF has been regularly recognized as a national top 100 Community Foundation and one of the largest in Michigan. A public, charitable organization serving Northwest Ottawa County community since 1971, the Foundation encourages philanthropy by individuals, families, corporations, and organizations; and serves as a steward of their charitable funds and legacies. In addition to awarding grants, the GHACF also offers technical support to for-impact organizations, convenes community leaders on issues of importance, and advocates for the for-impact sector.
For more, visit ghacf.org
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