Friends,
Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars has so much to celebrate this spring!
In March, we saw many of you at the 9th Annual Celebration Luncheon. Governor Whitmer joined us and recognized DRDFS’s efforts to help build a stronger community focused on education. We are so grateful for all the support we received, making this our most successful luncheon to date, raising over $845,000!
This spring, we were also proud to announce the addition of our 15th partner high school, Redford Union. They will be joining over 400 Next Scholar students this fall with the addition of the Class of 2025. We are excited to continue expanding our program to break down barriers for even more students.
In April, we hosted our first in-person event welcoming more than 100 students to the Next Level Scholars program. The Class of 2024 joined us on Eastern Michigan University’s campus for Project Runway, a day which included leadership training, a campus tour, a DRDFS alumni panel, a career Q&A, and more! Our sophomores went home feeling inspired about their journey ahead to postsecondary education.
On May 4th, we celebrated the Class of 2022 at Suited for Success, our College Decision Day event. As each senior walked to the podium and announced their plans for the future, the room was filled with applause and cheers from their family and friends. We are so excited for each of our students as they begin post-secondary education, and are grateful to continue our support through one-on-one alumni coaching.
Finally, we celebrate you—our supporters, our donors, and our partners. This spring, Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars will have awarded over 1,700 students more than $3 million in scholarships since 1990. It is your support that makes these moments and these scholarships possible. Thank you!
Warm regards,
Christa Funk
Executive Director
“I grew up without a clue of what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to go in life, until I had the opportunity to join Dollars for Scholars my sophomore year of high school. From visiting campuses, to SAT prep, the guidance I received from the program changed my entire outlook.
“From college tours to financial aid, Dollars for Scholars has greatly impacted my path to higher education. As a first generation college student, deciding where I would want to continue my education and figuring out how I would get there was a difficult process. My family and I lacked the time and transportation necessary to visit schools, and this limited me in figuring out my future.
“When joining Dollars for Scholars, I was eager to visit colleges and earn scholarship money. Being able to look at all the different schools with other students I could relate to was so reassuring. Dollars for Scholars was able to answer my questions about the ins & outs of post-secondary education, as well assist me with applications. This extra help was so motivating.
“Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is a life-changing program. Before high school, I was going down a path that if most kids took, they’d end up either dropping out of school or going to jail. Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars helped inspire me to get on a better path by showing me how to prepare for college. Hearing other students’ stories made me feel like I could be successful both in high school and post-secondary education.