By Krystal Moralee
Twenty-three local students who received support from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County are celebrating college graduation this year, marking not only the completion of their degrees, but the culmination of years of work, persistence, and community support.
These graduates represent what donor support can make possible: students leaving high school with big goals, navigating the rising costs and complexities of college, and reaching graduation with help from scholarships, personal guidance, and emergency assistance when life gets complicated.
“Several years ago, we switched our philosophy to focus more heavily on college success and not just getting students into college.” Said Randy Maiers, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. “We’re proud to be a part of a growing national trend of community foundations focusing their resources on success, and not just admission to college.”
Among this year’s graduates is Waylon Krolczyk, a 2022 St. Clair High School alumnus who followed his love of music to Wayne State University. After graduating summa cum laude this May with a music education degree, he is now pursuing his first teaching position in Shenzhen, China.
Krolczyk first learned about the Community Foundation in Amanda Volz’s financial management class at St. Clair High, securing a renewable award from the St. Clair Foundation Fund that supported him all four years. His education extended far beyond the classroom, taking him to Guardiagrele, Italy, Paris, France, and to Meru, Kenya, where he taught music. He traces his path back to the St. Clair High School music program led by Micah Volz, which heavily influenced his career choice.
“The Community Foundation has been the most streamlined and clear grant and scholarship foundation I’ve worked with,” Krolczyk said, “which was a massive weight off the already heavy shoulders of a busy college student.”
Kate Roy, a 2022 Yale High School graduate, received the James Wilhelm Memorial Scholarship throughout her four years at Michigan State University, where she recently earned her Bachelor of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. This fall, she will return to MSU to pursue a Master of Arts in Communicative Sciences and Disorders with the goal of becoming a speech-language pathologist and serving children and adults, hopefully back home in St. Clair County.
Roy said the support she received went beyond financial assistance.
“I was fortunate enough to receive scholarships from the Community Foundation during all four years of college,” she said. “This has led me to form many great relationships with other scholarship recipients, community members, and Community Foundation staff members. I have been fortunate to have worked with Jessica Flann during this time. She has always been there to answer my scholarship questions, check in with me, and has made my experience with the Community Foundation amazing.”
Flann said Roy was consistently responsive and willing to help others. When another Foundation-supported student needed advice about housing at Michigan State University, Flann reached out to Roy. Within minutes, she had detailed information from a student’s perspective that ultimately helped the other student find suitable housing.
“She is just a hard worker with a big, caring heart and she’s going to make such a difference in people’s lives one day,” Flann said.
For the Foundation, helping local students reach graduation involves more than simply awarding a scholarship when they leave high school and wishing them well.
“Scholarships often open the door to college,” Flann said. “Our goal is to help students not only get there but keep moving forward until they earn their degree.”
Flann stays connected with students, helping them navigate college and financial aid. Renewable scholarships are one part of that support; the Foundation’s High-Priority Student program and Life Needs Assistance fund also help students stay enrolled when challenges arise, including costs beyond tuition such as textbooks, technology, transportation, housing, utilities, groceries, childcare, and healthcare.
That mix of relationships and practical knowledge sets the Foundation’s approach apart. Students receive financial support and someone to call when college systems become confusing.
“It’s a lot to navigate, and without someone who knows how things work, it can be daunting for students,” Flann said.
As 23 local students cross the finish line this year, a new class is already preparing to begin. With the cost of education continuing to rise, the demand for scholarships remains high. By supporting existing scholarship funds or the Life Needs Assistance fund through the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, donors can remove barriers and help more local students finish what they started. To help our area’s next class reach the finish line, please contact Jackie Hanton at jackie@stclairfoundation.org.