Scholarships | Bob Schulze Poetry Contest

Thanks to the generosity of community members dedicated to the scholastic development of area students, scholarship funds have been established to help local students continue their education and expand their talents and dreams.

Congratulations to Scholarship Recipients!

Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation

Scholarship Recipients

Spring 2009/FY 2010

Mary McClutchey Amacher Scholarship ($350)

The Mary McClutchey Amacher Scholarship Fund was established in 1995 by Mary's family and friends to help other graduates of Pellston High School further their education.

Asa Faust-Smith, Pellston High School , plans to attend Northern Michigan University to study Biology/Environmental Sciences. Concerned about the damage being done to the Great Lakes , he hopes to use his education to preserve and protect natural resources.

Baiardi Family Foundation Scholarship ($2,000 each)

The Baiardi Family Foundation Scholarship Fund was established in 2003 by the trustees of the Baiardi Family Foundation to aid academically excellent graduates of Harbor Springs and/or Petoskey area high schools in pursuing their education

Jane Adams, Harbor Springs High School , will attend the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute at New York University this fall. She plans to continue a balance of education, performance study and activity, and personal life.

Theresa LeBlanc, Petoskey High School , will pursue a Special Education degree at Central Michigan University . Her youngest sibling, of eleven total children, is her inspiration to teach and support special needs individuals.

Michael Marsh, Petoskey High School , plans to study chemistry at The University of Michigan this fall. He excels in science and math, and intends to learn about relationships between different kinds of matter.

Kyle Nowels, Harbor Springs High School , will pursue kinesiology and sports management at The University of Michigan. Additionally, Kyle plans to study history and government and hopes to travel abroad to Spain .

Bay Harbor Foundation Scholarship ($500)

The Bay Harbor Foundation Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 by the Bay Harbor Foundation Board of Trustees for a resident of Emmet or Charlevoix Counties who is seeking a degree at a college, university, or other postsecondary educational institution.

Emily Miller, Harbor Springs High School , plans to attend DePauw University with the intent to teach post-secondary education or primary school. She hopes to travel, perform community service projects, and study abroad.

Anna Funk Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)

The Anna Funk Memorial Scholarship was established by her parents and sister, through donations from family and friends, to honor Anna's memory. Anna was a teacher her entire life. Her graduation from Alma College in 1994, with a degree in elementary education, only made this distinction official. Anna's teaching career was brief, as she died from brain cancer at the age of twenty three. Through the establishment of this scholarship fund, it is her family's hope that Anna's passion for teaching others will continue.

Lauren Kopka, Harbor Springs High School , plans to study anthropology, but has not yet selected which school she will attend this fall. She hopes to become a research anthropologist .

Amy Elizabeth Kelbel Scholarship ($500)

This fund was established in 1999 by the members of the Stephen and Vivian Rose Kelbel family. The goal of the fund is two-fold: 1) To pay tribute to its namesake who was an outstanding student at Petoskey High School until injuries received in a tragic automobile accident curtailed her high school experience. 2) To encourage participation in two of Amy's favorite activities, debate and forensics, and to assist graduates in fulfilling their own educational aspirations.

Annika Rettstadt, Petoskey High School , was very active in debate and forensics. She will attend Michigan State University to pursue a pre-law major and a liberal arts degree.

Jennifer A. Kullik Memorial Scholarship ($1,000)

Since 1993, the Kullik family and friends have been awarding a college scholarship to a graduating senior from Petoskey High School . In 2007, Northern Imaging Associates, P.C. established the Jennifer A. Kullik Memorial Scholarship Fund within the Community Foundation to create a permanent legacy to Jennifer. Jennifer was a person who exhibited a love of children and was very kind to the elderly, especially her Grandparents. She also had a great love of music and played several instruments, including piano, keyboard, flute and clarinet. Her interest in softball started as a Pigtail and progressed through Junior League, Junior Varsity and Varsity. Jennifer's exceptional relationship with her parents was the basis for her strong values and positive attitude. She was known as someone who was always prompt, dependable and responsible. Jenny was an excellent student, especially in science and math.

Chelsea Utt, Petoskey High School , will begin pre-veterinarian studies at Albion College this fall. A clinical rotation at the Maple River Animal Clinic gives her a good head start.

Little Traverse Association of Home BuildersHome Building Industry Career Scholarship ($500)

The Little Traverse Association of Home Builders Building Industry Career Scholarship was established in 2002 to benefit residents of Emmet or Charlevoix counties interested in a career in the building trades industry.

Kiersten Gokee, Harbor Springs High School , will attend The University of Michigan in the fall. She plans to study engineering with the hope of designing structurally sound, environmentally friendly, and visually appealing buildings.

Marshall-Smith Scholarship ($2,000)

The Marshall-Smith Scholarship Fund was established in 2008 by Pellston Public School graduates Patricia (Marshall) Smith (1973) and Daniel L. Smith (1970) to aid a selected Pellston Public High School graduating senior pursuing a science, technology, engineering or math degree at a n accredited public four-year university or college.

Alison Cieslak, Pellston High School , will bring an appreciation for rural living, leadership skills developed in 4-H, and a love of music to The University of Michigan when she arrives this fall.

Alberto Moreno Memorial Scholarship ($500)

The Alberto Moreno Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2002 to honor the memory of the donor's grandfather and support others who share Alberto's devotion to learning. Alberto Moreno became a naturalized citizen in the early 1900s. He had few resources to provide for his large family, in part because he had been unable to acquire a formal education. Nonetheless, he fostered in his children a respect and a hunger for learning and an appreciation for what education can provide for those who work hard and honestly. Sacrifices were many, often food and clothing were scarce, yet each child was instilled with these values. The entire family worked hard to create opportunities for the pursuit of education and to support each other as they obtained the education each wanted. Though other luxuries were forfeited, each child grew into an accomplished adult armed with a master's degree and a commitment to contribute to their family, their society and their country.

Kristen Koehler, Harbor Springs High School , plans to attend Northern Michigan University to study art and design. She used earnings from her summer job to invest in a high quality camera in order to pursue her love of photography, which she intends to continue in college.

Paul and Mary Smarks Scholarship ($1,000)

Paul Smarks and his sister, Mary attended Pellston High School . Paul graduated in 1922 and was an excellent athlete. He played basketball, football and ran track. He was the quarterback on the first Pellston football team in 1921 and captain of the 1919-1920 basketball team. Paul was the founder of the Michigan High School Coaches Association, Inc. and was invited by the President of the United States to attend a conference on fitness of the American youth. Paul Smarks established the Paul and Mary Smarks Scholarship Fund for Pellston High School students. Read the biographical sketch attached to the application to learn more about Paul and the Smarks family.

Joshua Schmalzried, Pellston High School , plans to attend Central Michigan University to study education. He intends to minor in athletic coaching as well.

Bob Schulze was a long-time summer resident of the area north of Harbor Springs who loved the woods and the beach, and loved to write poetry. As a boy in Springfield, Illinois, Bob won a writing prize that sparked his lifetime interest in writing.

The Schulze family decided to use funds given for Bob’s memorial to start a poetry prize open to youngsters of middle school age, whether in the local Emmet County schools, home school or summer visitors. The grand prize for the winning entry is $100. In addition, there are prizes for winning entries from each participating middle school and from the Emmet County libraries. An advisory committee made up of members selected by the Schulze family will choose the winning entries.

Each year students submit poems in late fall and winners are announced early in the new year.

Students from 5 schools submitted 151 poems for the Ninth Annual Bob Schulze Poetry Contest.  Here are the results!

Grand Prize

Dana Reynolds, Petoskey Middle School

"It Was" (Click on the title to read the poem)

Runner Up Awards

Sabrina Wolfgang, Alanson Public Schools, for “I Look at the Sky”
Christiana Manthei, Harbor Light Christian School, for “In The Forest”
Charlotte Cullip, Harbor Springs Middle School, for “Books”
Teckla Danielson, Petoskey Middle School, for “Marine”
Erik Hosler, St. Francis Xavier School, for “Rain Falls”

Honorable Mention Awards

Abigail Stead, Alanson Pubic Schools, for “Just Beyond the Sunset”
Destiny Wiertalla, Alanson Public Schools, for “The Gray Autumn”

Aaron Burdick, Harbor Springs Middle School, for “The Great River”
Bonnie Hamilton, Harbor Springs Middle School, for “Ocean Wonders”
Laura McQuarter, Harbor Springs Middle School, for “A Story Within”

Rachel Brilinski, Petoskey Middle School, for “The Many Faces of Me”
Anne-Marie Varga, Petoskey Middle School, for “Dream…”

Isabel Ceniza, St. Francis Xavier, for “The Poem”
Lisa Dinon, St. Francis Xavier, for “Seasons”
Reilly Philliben, St. Francis Xavier, for “Robots”

Congratulations to all and thank you to Petoskey Middle School for hosting the award ceremony this year!