We are excited to announce the winners of this year’s Van Buren Tech Cluster Scholarships, generously funded by the West Michigan Education Research and Development
Foundation (WMERDF) and the Van Buren Tech Scholarship Committee.
Traditionally, these scholarships could only be used for tuition. This year, for the first time, students who are entering the workforce directly or who have their tuition covered by other scholarships were able to create a professional wishlist based on the specific dollar amount they were awarded. These customized wishlists allowed recipients to select items that would support them in their next steps. The students who received wishlist support this year are Tanner Root, Broderick Caldwell, Abrahan Alvarado, Anay Saucedo, and Laura Barcenas-Perez.
We were able to offer scholarships in three tiers: $1,000, $500, and $300 to twelve deserving students across our four career clusters. Applicants were required to complete a detailed application, submit a resume and essay, and participate in an interview conducted by the Van Buren Tech Scholarship Committee.
Information Technology Cluster
Micah Guritz (Business, Management and Administration from Decatur) received $1,000
Andrew Blomeke (Graphic Design from Mattawan) received $500
Rene Barrientos (Software Engineering from Hartford) received $300
Physical Technology Cluster
Tanner Root (Construction Trades Off-site from Paw Paw) received $1,000
Broderick Caldwell (Construction Trades On-site from Mattawan) received $500
Abrahan Alvarado (Construction Trades Off-site from Bangor) received $300
Human Services Cluster
Zoie Wood (Agriculture and Natural Resources from Gobles) received $1,000
Eliana Hapner (Careers in Education from Mattawan) received $500
Anay Saucedo (Cosmetology 3rd Year) received $300
Health Cluster
Laura Barcenas-Perez (Patient Care from Hartford) received $1,000
Brody Johnson (Sports Medicine from Hartford) received $500
Alejandra Tienda Paz (Patient Care from Mattawan) received $300
We would also like to thank Chris Rice, Executive Director of the West Michigan Education Research and Development Foundation (WMERDF), who visited Van Buren Tech to congratulate the recipients and learn more about their future goals. He is pictured here with several of the scholarship winners. His support continues to make these scholarship opportunities possible.