By Laura Fitzgerald

In her senior year, Albion College student and Port Huron High School graduate Serenity Dean secured the student teaching job she needed to complete her undergraduate degree in German. The only problem: the job was at Holt High School, an approximately 90-mile roundtrip that would cost an estimated $3,000 in gas over the semester. 

That’s when the Community Foundation stepped in and provided a $3,500 grant to cover Dean’s transportation costs through the Douglas and Elda L. Webb Scholarship. 

“I’m grateful that I received the scholarship because I do come from a financially insecure background,” Dean said. “It is nice to have that security of, ok, my gas is covered. I don’t have to worry about it.”

Helping College Students Achieve their Dreams

The Foundation’s scholarships help hundreds of college students afford their education by providing funds for expenses that go beyond regular tuition – books, rent, medical bills, groceries, transportation, and other basic life needs that many college students struggle to afford. 

“We’re very fortunate to have this fund because every year it helps students not just get to college but also helps them stay there and remove barriers so they can get that degree,” said Post Secondary Success Program Officer Jessica Flann.

Following graduation in May, Dean plans to teach German with the help of the MI Future Educators Fellowship, which provides grants to students studying education with the promise of working in a Michigan public school district for a certain number of years. Eventually, she aspires to be a translator at General Motors.

Dean’s love for the German language and culture stems from her year abroad as a sophomore in high school. Her family also hosted exchanges students for many years, exposing her to world cultures.

Dean originally attended Albion to study Kinesiology, but she learned STEM was not for her when she took her first chemistry class. After taking German 101, she switched to German with a concentration in Pk-12 Education.

“I like interacting with the students and getting to see their growth. I enjoy seeing the spark in their eyes when they finally get something,” Dean said. “I had a really great experience in Germany, and I want to spread the joy that I had.”

‘A Huge Weight of my Shoulders’

Grand Valley State junior and Port Huron High School graduate Joslyn Williams also hopes to make an impact on students’ lives after graduation with a degree in Elementary Education. Her most recent $4,000 grant from the Webb Scholarship paid for rent.

“Not having to worry about paying my rent for six months was a huge weight off my shoulders,” Williams said. “I was able to fully focus on school. During school, I worked with students in my placements. I’ve really put my time towards that, which has helped me so much. I feel like I’ve learned so much just being able to focus on my education.”

Williams plans to work in Grand Valley Public Schools, where a large portion of the student population is economically disadvantaged.

“I feel that it’s really important for children, especially ones who are in need, to have someone that they know is there for them, someone who will support them, academically and emotionally, and socially,” Williams said. “That’s my goal as an educator, to be that person.”

While her family is also supportive, she said she appreciated the second support system found in her Foundation advisors Flann and the late Kevin Totty. They regularly checked in with her and connected her with resources.

More About the Webb Scholarship

The Webb scholarship has granted more than $300,000 to 99 students since its creation in 2010. The fund was originally a part of the Complete Your Degree program to benefit graduates of a Port Huron high school attending a college, trade or technical school in St. Clair County, Flann said. 

While the Webbs lived in Florida for more than two decades, they had always considered Port Huron their home. Elda established the scholarship fund upon bequest; she passed in February 2010, followed by Douglas in August 2015. The couple was married nearly 63 years before Elda’s passing, according to Douglas’ obituary. He was a graduate of Port Huron High School, while Elda graduated from Peck High School.

Webb scholarship recipients have studied and found careers in nursing, cosmetology, teaching, criminal justice, business, and more, Flann said.

The program has since evolved to be a part of the High Priority Student program. A portion of the Webb fund is overseen by the Equity and Inclusion Committee, which uses funds to support educational strategic priorities. The committee also gave permission for dollars to be allocated to Port Huron high school graduates outside of St. Clair County.

How you can Make an Impact

You can donate to the Webb scholarship or one of the Foundation’s 40 scholarship funds to make an impact in the lives of St. Clair County graduates and students for generations to come. In 2010 – the year the fund was established – the Webbs and other county families made nearly $3 million in scholarship commitments.

To learn more, apply, or donate to the Foundation’s scholarship funds, visit the scholarship page. Visit their webpage to learn more about the Equity and Inclusion Committee. 

To establish a new scholarship fund, contact Foundation Vice President Jackie Hanton at (810)984–4761 or [email protected].