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Nearly 100 women attended the third annual Women’s Aviation Career Symposium on Jan. 25 at the Capital Region International Airport. The symposium, hosted by Jackson National Life Insurance, was organized by co-founders Helen Hagg, Mary Poirier and Pam Tobin. The symposium showcased the many different career pathways and science-, technology-, engineering- and math-related fields that aviation offers and awarded $7,500 in scholarships for aviation education and honored the winner of the 2019 Michigan Aeronautics Commission Award of Excellence.

Scholarship winners were Kendra Blackie, Karissa Fricke, Kayla Hoffman, Victoria Moore and Katherine Priddy. Blackie, Hoffman, Priddy and Moore are working toward commercial pilot ratings, while Fricke will use the money toward her airframe and powerplant maintenance certificates. ■

WACS 2020 Scholarship Winners

WACS 2020 Group Photo

The Michigan State University Federal Credit Union Student Art Exhibit kicked off Jan. 29 at MSUFCU headquarters. The event featured 18 high schools and over 160 art exhibit entries including paintings, sketches, 3D pieces and photography. The public voted via Facebook, the MSUFCU website and in-person by ballot. Awards given included the juried awards, Social Media Award, People’s Choice Award and School Spirit Award.

Juried award winners announced at a Feb. 26 ceremony were: First place: Mason student Alison French for her piece “Staruszka” Second place: Williamston student Jasmyne Bush for “Adaeze” Third place: East Lansing student Kohi Kalandrova for “Everything.” ■

“Staruszka” by Alison French

“Adaeze” by Jasmyne Bush

Catherine Tonning-Popowich speaks about her art with the crowd