Challenge Scholars Successfully Earn College Degrees

A Celebration Years in the Making

As sixth graders, students in the Union High School class of 2020 were inducted as the first class of Challenge Scholars. Their families, teachers and community all cheered with Grand Rapids Community Foundation for their futures and all the possibilities of the next decade. The Challenge Scholars program supports students who graduate from Union High School in the classes of 2020 to 2028 as they pursue college or career training.

Since that first induction in 2014, Challenge Scholars students have been dreaming and leading with determination and like Ermelinda Pedro, Sandra Lopez and Tatianna Cervantes, they are achieving their dreams. They are the next generation to make positive change in West Michigan and the world.

It's important to get familiar with the support and resources that are available. It can feel really lonely really fast, and you can get overwhelmed if you don't know who to go to. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help. There are people to guide you through the college process.—Sandra Lopez

As the first class of Challenge Scholars, students in the class of 2020 helped shape the program and the Community Foundation’s work. The journeys of these students continue to show us what it looks like to dream big and make those dreams a reality.

• They set an example, strengthened the college and career culture at their schools and became role models to other students and younger siblings.

• They navigated new terrain, identifying where additional supports were needed and providing feedback to build new initiatives, like the Challenge Scholars Dream Fund.

• They faced historic external pressures, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the national racial reckoning.

• They have been involved, joining student groups, serving as volunteers and working to build career experience.

Shaping Our Work In Education

The Community Foundation’s commitment to students deepened through Challenge Scholars. Peers—both Challenge Scholars and general scholarship students—explained how housing, food and transportation costs, family responsibilities or the complexities of financial aid and lack of academic support become barriers. These challenges can prevent them from being able to finish a degree or credential program.

Shaped by these learnings, the Community Foundation’s focus today includes creating clearer pathways and supporting students’ needs so they can finish strong. While we will continue to provide scholarships, we are challenging ourselves to engage in new, collaborative ways to ensure students have the resources they need to cross the finish line. To learn more about how we support students, visit GRFoundation.org/Education.

I visited MSU and knew it wouldn't be affordable without Challenge Scholars. But because of the opportunity, I wanted to travel outside of Grand Rapids and go somewhere new. My first year was remote [because of the COVID-19 pandemic], but I was really happy to move to East Lansing my sophomore year, and I found my home away from home. —Ermelinda Pedro