By Krystal Moralee

The school year is firmly underway, and 176 Blue Water-area students have begun it with scholarship support from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County with help that can ease financial pressure and allow them to focus more fully on their educational goals.

For this academic year, the Community Foundation awarded 87 new scholarships and renewed 89 others, providing more than $530,000 in support. The awards reflect a deliberate shift toward renewable scholarships that follow students through multiple years, supporting not only access to college but long-term success.

That continuing support can be seen in the experience of Peyton Miller, a fourth-year recipient of the Alexander & Celestine Lamere Fund scholarship.

Miller, a 2023 Marine City High School graduate, is studying radiology at St. Clair County Community College and expects to graduate in the spring. She is exploring careers in X-ray and mammography, and the scholarship has allowed her to devote more time and energy to school without placing the financial burden entirely on her family.

“For one thing, obviously, it’s a huge financial relief,” Miller said. “It’s hard to put on my parents, and as a full-time student, it’s hard to get hours for work to help pay for it.”

Magdelene Swartz, a 1996 Port Huron Northern graduate, recently completed her nursing degree at SC4 with help from the Douglas and Elda A. Webb scholarship fund. She continues her education with help from the  Webb scholarship as she works toward her BSN degree. “Receiving the Webb scholarship again has relieved so much financial stress, allowing me to focus fully on my coursework and stay on track to reach those goals.”

Evan Martin, a 2024 Marine City High School graduate, is a third-year renewal recipient through the Lamere Fund. After participating in dual enrollment and spending two years at St. Clair County Community College, he transferred this fall to Saginaw Valley State University, where he is studying accounting and expects to graduate in fall 2027.

Martin has completed an internship at Eastern Michigan Bank and is exploring auditing and tax accounting as he advances through his program.

“Right now, I’m very interested in the auditing space, whether for government or independent,” Martin said.

Alton Fox, a 2024 Marine City High School graduate and third-year renewal recipient, is a junior at Michigan State University. He is pursuing a double major in Games and Interactive Media and Journalism, with a minor in Creative Writing.

Scholarships were especially important when Fox’s family faced financial difficulty early in his college career while his mother dealt with health issues and temporarily had to leave her job. She is doing well now, but at the time, several scholarships helped keep his education moving forward.

“Scholarships were definitely a huge help, especially during that particular time,” Fox said.

Ella Carlson, a 2025 Marysville High School graduate, is a second-year renewal recipient through the Ted & Joyce Wildermuth Scholarship Fund. She attends the University of Michigan, where she is studying psychology on the pre-med track and expects to earn her bachelor’s degree in 2029.

“Scholarships have helped me in such a big way as they have allowed me to attend school without a large amount of debt and have given me the freedom to not have to have a job while on campus,” Carlson said.

The students’ experiences reflect the Foundation’s broader approach. “A few years ago, the Foundation shifted its scholarship philosophy from simply supporting access to college to supporting success in college,” said Jessica Flann, program officer for post-secondary success at the Community Foundation. “While scholarships are only one part of what students need to complete a degree, we’ve found that ongoing encouragement and connection matter too.”

Community Foundation President and CEO Randy Maiers said the growing emphasis on renewable scholarships allows donors’ generosity to become something more enduring than a single award.

“When our donors invest in a student year after year, they’re doing more than helping with one semester’s expenses,” Maiers said. “They’re giving that student a community of support that stays with them as they learn, grow, and work toward completing their education.”

Your gift can help the Community Foundation continue providing renewable scholarships and sustained support to students across the Blue Water area. To invest in the current scholarship program and help local students pursue and complete their education, contact Jackie Hanton at jackie@stclairfoundation.org.