EMPOWERING POTENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP – AWARD WINNERS
![Little Alyssa pictured here with her MRS. They are standing in front of a blue wall, smiling at the camera and holding a giant check made out to her for $500.](https://thinkbigtoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Alyssa-with-MRS.jpg)
Congratulations to both of our Scholarship Winners! Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Michigan awarded two winners the Empowering Potential Scholarship, totaling $1,000.
EMPOWERING FUTURES
BBBS’ Empowering Potential scholarship provides financial support to one current or previous qualifying High School Big and one current or previous qualifying Little in pursuit of continuing their education or career development.
![Alyssa and her Big Sister Cydney holding Alyssa's giant check and smiling at the camera in front of a blue wall outside](https://thinkbigtoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Alyssa-with-Big.jpg)
Alyssa likes that they can talk about anything and says that Cydney helps her focus on her goals.
ALYSSA – LITTLE SISTER
TO CYDNEY
Alyssa will be a senior at Allegan High School in the fall. When she graduates, she wants to attend Central Michigan University to become a Nutritionist.
“She feels great about winning”, says Afton, her Mentoring Relationship Specialist, after she presented her with her giant check. “She thinks it’s a great opportunity”. Alyssa hasn’t graduated yet, so she plans to save the money and put it towards college next year. When she gets to CMU, Alyssa wants to study nutrition, and she wants to play soccer on CMU’s women’s soccer team. Currently she plays on both the soccer and basketball teams at Allegan High School. Outside of school and sports, Alyssa loves spending time with her friends, going to the beach, and eating Crumbl cookies.
Cydney and Alyssa started their match during Alyssa’s sophomore year. Alyssa loves having her Big Cydney in her life. They enjoy spending time together and Alyssa likes that they can talk about anything and says that Cydney helps her focus on her goals.
“Alyssa wanted to make sure that everyone at BBBS knows that she says THANK YOU for this opportunity!“, says Afton, her Mentoring Relationship Specialist.
![](https://thinkbigtoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Madison-1.jpeg)
MADDIE – BIG SISTER
TO CAMERON
Maddie is going to be going to Kalamazoo Valley Community College in the fall and transferring to Western Michigan University after that to earn her degree in early education. Maddie has aspirations of becoming an elementary school teacher and is going to use the money towards her college education. “She really enjoyed being in the High School Bigs program and did an outstanding job as a Big”, says her Mentoring Relationship Specialist, Elizabeth. “She was so thankful and so excited”, when she found out she won.
Elizabeth writes about Maddie, “She is a super positive, friendly, and dependable individual.” She played on the basketball team at Gull Lake High School while being a consistent mentor for her Little. While visiting her Little (Cameron), they had snack time and played board games together. Cameron had a lot of fun with Maddie, and always said that he enjoyed his time with her.