Community Choice Credit Union Foundation Invests in Students Who Commit to Giving Back to Their Michigan Communities
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI (May 7, 2013) Community Choice Credit Union, serving eight counties located in Southeast Michigan, announced today that its foundation will award $100,000 in college scholarships to twenty local high school seniors on Thursday, May 9. The scholars named are from Michigan, will attend a university or college in Michigan and pledge to use their education to give back to their local communities.
| Name | Hometown | High School | College |
| Alwin David | Livonia, Michigan | Detroit Catholic Central High School | University of Michigan |
| Amanda Schwartz | Huntington Woods, Michigan | Berkley High School | University of Michigan |
| Andrew Piontkowski | Sterling Heights, Michigan | De La Salle Collegiate Highschool | University of Michigan |
| Brandi Ledbetter | Shelby Township, Michigan | Utica Academy for International Studies | Kalamzoo College |
| Caitlyn Thelen | South Lyon, Michigan | South Lyon High School | University of Michigan |
| Casey Rhines | Livonia, Michigan | Franklin High School | University of Detroit Mercy |
| Gregory Thelen | Lake Orion, Michigan | Lake Orion High School | Michigan Technological University |
| Jane Modes | Livonia, Michigan | Benjamin Franklin High School | University of Michigan |
| Jenna Sperling | West Bloomfield, Michigan | Walled Lake Central | University of Michigan |
| Kate Yuhas | Brighton, Michigan | Brighton High School | University of Michigan |
| Lauren Krzisnik | Oxford, Michigan | Oxford High School | University of Michigan |
| Luke Roggenkamp | Brighton, Michigan | Brighton High School | University of Michigan |
| Megan Macciomei | Shelby Township, Michigan | Eisenhower High School | Michigan State University |
| Melissa Oudeh | Westland, Michigan | Franklin High School | Michigan State University |
| Mohamed Hussein Ghandour | Dearborn, Michigan | Fordson High School | University of Michigan |
| Nadeen Dakhlallah | Dearborn, Michigan | Dearborn High School | Wayne State University |
| Nicolette Pietron | Royal Oak, Michigan | Regina High School | Eastern Michigan University |
| Nor Shammout | Dearborn Heights, Michigan | Crestwood High School | Wayne State University |
| Trevor Franzen | Shelby Township, Michigan | Utica High School | Oakland University |
| Zied Shammout | Dearborn Heights, Michigan | Crestwood High School | University of Michigan |
“Five years ago, Community Choice Credit Union launched the Community Choice Foundation. At the time, we were looking for a solution to help stop the brain drain in Michigan,” said Robert Bava, President and CEO of Community Choice Credit Union. “Since 2008, we have helped encourage the best and brightest to stay in Michigan and to utilize their education to Give Big to our communities. With a troubled economy, tough job market, and the rising costs of higher education, Michigan is struggling to keep its best and brightest students. While none of us can single-handedly solve these problems, we believe we can harness the cooperative spirit that our credit union was founded on to make a tremendous difference.”
The Credit Union’s attempt to help solve Michigan’s brain drain coincides with efforts by Gov. Rick Snyder who held an economic summit in March focused on creating jobs and ending the brain drain. Census data reveals that Michigan experienced a 6.17 percent loss of its population with college degrees between 2000 and 2009; the largest drop amongst all 50 states.
“I hope to open up a local clinic where I can serve the under-served healthcare community,” said Dakhlallah. “I believe that the success of our state depends on future generations who are willing to put their time and effort into enriching our society. I am convinced that with hard work and determination, a crucial difference can be made in the state of Michigan.”
“I want to be the person to break down the barriers between industry leaders who are focused on profits and environmentalists who are focused on natural resources,” said Roggenkamp. “I believe that as a chemical engineer, I can bridge that gap allowing industry to move forward while preserving the natural resources that are the trademark of the great state of Michigan.”
The Credit Union saw the biggest response since offering the scholarships with 335 applicants who applied this year. Criteria for selection of the winners included: GPA, volunteer service, a commitment to attend an accredited college in Michigan, a pledge to utilize each individual’s education to give back to Michigan communities, and county of residence.
On May 9, Credit Union and Foundation Officials will be joined by legislators and school officials to celebrate the scholar’s achievements and award them their scholarships. The celebration will feature keynote speaker Stephanie Bergeron, President and CEO of Walsh College.
“I admire the focus of Community Choice Foundation scholarships: keeping our best and brightest students in Michigan,” said Bergeron. “This pioneering effort to curtail the brain drain and promote Michigan’s success is exactly the right educational initiative.”
Credit Union Celebrates Give Big Philosophy
Scholarships are just one part of a larger charitable effort by Community Choice. The Credit Union concluded 2012 by providing more than $211,000 to community programs, including direct donations, Community Choice Foundation scholarships, team member financial and volunteer contributions, plus member and vendor donations. Team members contributed 2,443 volunteer hours in 2012 to community service and volunteerism opportunities. Community Choice offers a volunteer reimbursement program effectively providing each team member the opportunity to volunteer 24 paid hours throughout local communities each year.
“Some time ago we realized the sum of what we could achieve as a Credit Union team would eclipse by far what we could achieve as individuals. Community Choice team members now collectively give back to local communities,” said Bava. “Efforts started out small but we gave as much as we could. With the recession of 2008, the world faced a tremendous challenge and we did our part to ease the pain that many were facing. I’m happy to say that the “Give Big” spirit and philosophy has grown exponentially at Community Choice since that time to create a huge impact in Michigan each year. The Give Big spirit is one of our core values and is evident throughout the year.”
About Community Choice Credit Union
Established in 1935, Community Choice Credit Union offers a wide variety of financial products and services for both consumers and businesses. Any individual who lives, works, or worships in the following counties is eligible to become a member owner of Community Choice Credit Union: Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw or Wayne County, Michigan. Since 2008, through the Community Choice Foundation, the Credit Union has invested more than $500,000 and 8,000 volunteer hours into its charitable Give Big efforts throughout Michigan. For more information, visit CommunityChoiceCUFoundation.com.