All four winners of the LAFCU scholarship in 2021. (from left to right: Tatiana Mason at Central Michigan University, Abbey Peters at Olivet College, Teagan Sanders at Michigan State University and Jessica Wang at University of Michigan). Photos supplied to Publicom, Inc. by the winners.
—LAFCU, a Lansing-based credit union, is now accepting entries for its 2022 “Write to Educate Essay” contest. The contest awards $10,000 in college scholarships to four winners and donates $2,000 to charities in the names of the winners.
This means four high school seniors will get a $2,500 scholarship to an accredited Michigan college or university and the opportunity to select a charity to receive a donation of $500 from the credit union.
The selection process is only based on a one-page essay that examines the student’s experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. Other factors, such as academic grades and financial need, are not considered.
“The essay is an opportunity for students to reflect on their high school successes and their future plans despite the extraordinary challenges caused by the pandemic,” Kelli Ellsworth Etchison, LAFCU chief marketing officer and chief diversity officer, said in a press release. “And because there are no other factors in determining the winners, everyone starts on a level playing field.”
Winners get to choose from Capital Area Humane Society, Capital Area United Way or Greater Lansing Food Bank to receive the $500 LAFCU donation.
“The charity donation supports the credit union philosophy of ‘People Helping People’ and demonstrates the power of giving back — an important concept for the state’s next generation of leaders,” Ellsworth Etchison said in the release.
Winning essays will also be published in the Lansing State Journal, a community sponsor of the contest.
Last year MSU business preference freshman Teagan Sanders was one of the contest winners. Sanders and the other three winners donated to Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, for Kids.
The organization provides trained volunteers to advocate for children in Barry, Eaton and Ingham counties who are under court jurisdiction due to abuse and neglect.
“I think it’s really important because it’s really sad that kids have to go through that,” Sanders said. “I think that people advocating for them when they can’t themselves is really important ... For the benefit that I got from it and the benefit that it provided for that charity, (applying for the scholarship) is definitely worth it.
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