Chamber honors four area students from class of 2019

Front row, scholarship recipients (from the left) : Astrid Melissa Lopez Oroxom from Kelloggsvile High School; Luz Parada-Martinez from Godwin Heights High School; Kathryn Abbott from East Kentwood High School; and Crystal Gonzalez-Pineda from Lee High School. Back row, from left: Chamber Education Committee Chair Kathey Batey; Chamber CEO and President Bob O’Callaghan, and Chamber Foundation Director Danna Mathiesen. (WKTV)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

Two plan to study medicine. One hopes to be a high school teacher and another plans to go into business.

These are the goals of the four students who received scholarships from the Wyoming Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce during a special luncheon on Wednesday, April 24, at Brann’s Steakhouse and Grill.

Funded by the Mercantile Bank of Michigan, the Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance, and the Wyoming Chamber of Commerce, the scholarship recognized students from schools in the Wyoming and Kentwood communities. This year, four students were selected representing East Kentwood High School, Godwin High School, Lee High School, and Kelloggsville High School.

Community members, school officials, friends and family members attended the luncheon that recognized the students.

“As I look around this room and see these students, I would say we are in pretty good shape (for the future),” said Godwin Heights Superintendent William Fetterhoff, who attended the event with several school officials that included Kentwood Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff.

We were able to talk to each of the scholarship recipients about their plans for the future and what words of wisdom they would offer to next year’s seniors.

Scholarship recipient Kathryn Abbott (center) with Mercantile Bank CEO Bob Kaminski and Mercantile Bank Vice President and Chamber Foundation Director Danna Mathiesen. (WKTV)

Kathryn Abbott
East Kentwood High School
College: Ferris State University
Major: Nursing, looking at becoming a nurse practitioner

“I have always found it interesting,” Abbott said of her career choice. “I have watched a lot of medical shows and just felt like I would really like it.”

Advice for next year’s seniors: “Don’t procrastinate on those applications and the FSDA (Financial Student Development Authority). We discovered that a lot of the seniors in my class had not even done FSDA yet. Oh, and apply for all the scholarships you can.”

Scholarship recepient Luz Parada-Martinez with Mercantile Bank Vice President and Chamber Foundation Director Danna Mathiesen. (WKTV)

Luz Parada-Martinez
Godwin Heights High School
College: Davenport University
Major: Business

“I just feel that through business you are able to connect with your community and the people and through that I will be able to make a contribution back to the community,” Parada said.

Advice for next year’s seniors: “Do not procrastinate and work hard. Get scholarships and good grades because it will be all worth it in the end when you graduate.”

Scholarships recipient Astrid Melissa Lopez Oroxom (center) with Mercantile Bank Vice President and Chamber Foundation Director Danna Mathiesen (left) and Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance Jenn Franson (right). (WKTV)

Astrid Melissa Lopez Oroxom
Kelloggsville High School
College: Grand Rapids Community College
Major: Medicine

“I want to help people,” Lopez said.

Advice for next year’s seniors: “Study hard so you can achieve whatever you want.”

Scholarships recipient Crystal Gonzalez-Pineda (center) with Mercantile Bank Vice President and Chamber Foundation Director Danna Mathiesen (left) and Greater Wyoming Community Resource Alliance Jenn Franson (right). (WKTV)

Crystal Gonzalez-Pineda
Lee High School
College: Michigan State University
Major: Education and Arts and Humanity

“I wanted to give back to my community and one way I could is with education,” Gonzalez said. “The teachers gave so much to me that I wanted to do the same thing.”

Advice for next year’s seniors: “Apply for scholarships early because college is a lot more expensive then you thought.”