Gloria Wagener Scholarship
In the late Spring of 2016, SVSU lost Gloria Wagener, an employee who had dedicated her 42-year career to the students and her fellow employees at SVSU. Gloria’s death was a shock to all who knew her. Gloria was not only a steadfast employee, but also a firm believer in the right to organize. She devoted her personal and professional life to fighting for the rights of others. In 1985, Gloria formed the SVSU Support Staff Association (SSA).
In 2012, just before the 50th Anniversary of SVSU, the SVSU Support Staff Association funded a $10,000 endowment to create a scholarship for support staff families. In 2016, the scholarship was re-named “The Gloria Wagener Scholarship” to honor her legacy.
The purpose of the scholarship:
The Local established the endowed scholarship to help offset the rising costs of higher education. This scholarship is available to members (in good standing) of the SVSU Support Staff Association or their families. Full- or part-time students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and preference will be given in the following order: 1) past or current SSA members or spouses; 2) child, stepchild, or legal ward of a past or current SSA member; 3) grandchild of a past or current SSA member.
How to apply:
Go to http://www.svsu.edu/scholarships and complete the General Application. Next click on “Recommended Opportunities” which will appear under the green check mark on the left side of the screen. If you qualify, you will see the scholarship listed and you will be asked to indicate your relationship to the SVSU Support Staff Association.
Past recipients:
In the late Spring of 2016, SVSU lost Gloria Wagener, an employee who had dedicated her 42-year career to the students and her fellow employees at SVSU. Gloria’s death was a shock to all who knew her. Gloria was not only a steadfast employee, but also a firm believer in the right to organize. She devoted her personal and professional life to fighting for the rights of others. In 1985, Gloria formed the SVSU Support Staff Association (SSA).
In 2012, just before the 50th Anniversary of SVSU, the SVSU Support Staff Association funded a $10,000 endowment to create a scholarship for support staff families. In 2016, the scholarship was re-named “The Gloria Wagener Scholarship” to honor her legacy.
The purpose of the scholarship:
The Local established the endowed scholarship to help offset the rising costs of higher education. This scholarship is available to members (in good standing) of the SVSU Support Staff Association or their families. Full- or part-time students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and preference will be given in the following order: 1) past or current SSA members or spouses; 2) child, stepchild, or legal ward of a past or current SSA member; 3) grandchild of a past or current SSA member.
How to apply:
Go to http://www.svsu.edu/scholarships and complete the General Application. Next click on “Recommended Opportunities” which will appear under the green check mark on the left side of the screen. If you qualify, you will see the scholarship listed and you will be asked to indicate your relationship to the SVSU Support Staff Association.
Past recipients:
- 2013 – Cody Zeitz, son of Judy Zeitz in our Registrar’s Department
- 2014 – Madison Martin, daughter of Deborah Rickert in our Office of Adjunct Faculty Support Programs
- 2015 – Brady Nitschmann, son of Kelly Nitschmann in our Campus Financial Services Center
- 2016 – Natalie Nitschmann, daughter of Kelly Nitschmann in our Campus Financial Services Center
- 2017 – Jordan Nuenke, stepson of Nick Badalamenti (retired) from our Campus Facilities Department
- 2018 – Joshua Zastrow, son of Amy Zastrow in our College of Health and Human Services Department
- 2019 – Kayle Wisniewski, daughter of Tom Wisniewski from our Campus Facilities-Maintenance area
- 2020 – Alexis Draheim - current member in good standing - she works for the SVSU University Police department
- 2021 - Taylor Yaros, daughter of Tish Yaros - Information Technology Support Center
- 2022 - Caleb Zastrow, son of Amy Zastrow - Administrative Secretary - College of Science Engineering & Technology
- 2023 - Kyle Weiss, son of Jennifer Weiss - Administrative Secretary - College of Education
MEA Scholarship
This is an Educational Opportunity provided by the Members, Staff and Friends of the Michigan Education Association
The Scholarship
The amount and number of scholarships offered each year shall be determined by the trustees of the MEA Scholarship Fund. Such scholarships may be offered on a renewal basis limited to four times in a five-year period.
Deadline is February 18, 2021 (click here for application).
Eligibility Criteria
- Dependent of MEA member or MEA-Retired member in good standing.
- Graduate of a Michigan public high school or private high school that has an MEA bargaining unit. (Diploma must be received in the year of application.)
- Will attend or is currently an undergraduate student of a Michigan public community/junior college, four-year degree-granting institution, or vocational training institution that grants a degree, certification or license. Those attending the following private institutions ONLY are also eligible: Baker College-Flint/Owosso; University of Detroit–Mercy; Adrian College; Finlandia University; and Albion College. (The aforementioned private institutions are existing local MEA affiliates.)
- Note: Children of MEA officers, fund trustees, and MEA staff are not eligible.
(A child of an MEA, MESSA or MEA-FS staff person is eligible if the other parent is an MEA member in good standing). - The scholarship will not be awarded for the purpose of working on a post-baccalaureate degree.
Selection Criteria
Priority is given on the basis of:
- Academic achievement
- Extra-curricular activities
- School and community service
- Scholarship determination will be made strictly on the merit of the applicant’s performance against the above criteria. The selection and award of scholarships is a nondiscriminatory process.
- MEA Scholarships will be awarded by the trustees of the MEA Scholarship Fund. This body is composed of MEA members and persons appointed from the general public. The fund is financed through the voluntary contributions of the members, staff and friends of the Michigan Education Association.
Method of Application
Eligible students seeking the scholarship must complete this application form.
Funding
The “MEA Scholarship Fund” is financed through the voluntary contributions of the members, staff and friends of the Michigan Education Association.
Such contributions may be made by check or money order payable to the “MEA Scholarship Fund” and mailed to:
MEA Scholarship Fund
Michigan Education Association
P.O. Box 2573
East Lansing, MI 48826-2573
Your contribution is tax deductible and you will receive a written receipt and acknowledgment.
The Michigan Education Association is an organization dedicated to the principles of public education, advancement of quality education, and security of the rights of education employees. There are approximately 120,000 members of MEA, who are public K-12 teachers and education support professionals; higher education faculty and educational support personnel; employees of intermediate school districts; and MEA-Retired members.
Founded in 1852, the MEA was organized initially as the Michigan State Teachers Association, with 200 members. By the 1920s, local teacher organizations generated increased activities by the association to improve the welfare of the profession. It was at that time that the name was changed to Michigan Education Association.
During the 1950s and 1960s the MEA became an aggressive statewide force for teacher rights and welfare, as well as other professional concerns. In 1984, active membership was expanded to include education support professionals. This brought together one of the largest single unions representing education employees.
Throughout its long history, MEA has remained committed to quality education and retains a prominent leadership position as a strong advocate for public education. As one means of demonstrating its commitment to public education, the MEA has established and offers the MEA Scholarship.