UMCU Awards $8,500 in Scholarships to Local High School Seniors
June 7, 2022
Ann Arbor, MI (June 7th, 2022) — The University of Michigan Credit Union, UMCU, awarded $8,500 in scholarships to 12 local high school seniors through its Youth Scholarship program. The UMCU Youth Scholarship program was launched in December 2021 to help eligible students with monetary tuition support or other educational expenses at an accredited college or technical school in the United States. It also serves to promote financial literacy with free resources and guides for young adults.
The winners were chosen based on a specific set of criteria and selected by an independent panel of UMCU team members. Out of 50 applications, 12 were designated as having met or exceeded all criteria, including, community involvement, work experience, commitment to financial literacy and financial well-being, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and a letter of reference that spoke to the students’ character and community impact.
Awards were handed out on Friday, May 20th, by UMCU’s Financial Education Manager Mark Munzenberger at a morning reception held at UMCU’s Jackson Road branch location.
L-R: Mark Munzenberger (UMCU Financial Education Manager), Skylar Fletcher (Ann Arbor
Pioneer HS), Eden Gibson (Dexter HS), Amari Edwards (Plymouth Salem HS), Karinne Tennenbaum (Ann Arbor Pioneer HS), Carter Harris (Saline HS), Paige Bolton (South Lyon HS), Devin McDaniel (Ann Arbor Pioneer HS), Sidney Streetman (Dexter HS), Ruba Agour (Huron HS) Not Pictured: Brooke Stratman, Katarina Wolfkostin, Megan Fuller.
“Our inaugural UMCU Youth Scholarship program was a fantastic success this year, and we are so excited for all the winners. We believe that a focus on financial wellness should start at a young age, and intentionally included a financial literacy component in our selection process. This program fits perfectly into our youth financial education program, and we plan to continue to expand on what we offer to our members (parents and students) going forward. Providing financial support to these well-deserving students aligns with our mission and values,” said Mark Munzenberger.
"It means so much to me to be recognized. I feel like I worked really, really hard in high school, and I love the fact that UMCU is making financial literacy a part of their mission, especially among youth. I think that it's great that they're starting from such a young age. It's really important to teach kids about how to use their money. As they go forward and discover whatever it is they're passionate about, they’re able to do it by having financial independence. It means a lot to me that UMCU recognizes me as one of those people who is helping them on their journey,” student Karinne Tennenbaum added.
About the University of Michigan Credit Union The University of Michigan Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative. Its purpose is to amaze UMCU members, the community, and its team by working together for shared success. UMCU is the only credit union headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When established in 1954, there were 12 members and $9 in assets. Today, UMCU has more than 113,000 members and more than $1.3 billion in assets, and it continues to grow. With ten full-service branches, and three virtual branches across Ann Arbor, Flint, Dearborn, and Ypsilanti, including the University Hospital, UMCU serves the financial needs of the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, and their surrounding communities. For more information, visit UMCU.org or follow UMCU on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.