Celebrating The Class of 2025!

The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation is proud to announce our 2025 scholarship recipients! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, MGCF awarded scholarships to more than 70 students this year across Southwest Michigan. These scholarships recognize academic achievement, community service, and student potential — and they represent a shared commitment to the future of our region.

We’re excited to celebrate these incredible students and share the full list of recipients, organized by school district:

Buchanan

• Coy Weinberg – Walter E. Schirmer Memorial Scholarship

• Audrey Lietz, Cameron Horvath, Olivia Kutemeier, Isabella Tibbles, & Evyn Pruett – Unity Hospital Education Scholarship

• Alaina Hickok, Jenna Franklin, Geneva Tabor, & Kaitlin Ferrell – Buchanan-Galien Lions Club Scholarship

• Geneva Tabor – Jason Kuntz History Club Scholarship, Jane Davis Health Careers Scholarship

• Isabella Overmyer – Eugene Smith & Harriet J. Schwartz Scholarship

• Caitlyn Horvath – Ellis Family Memorial Scholarship

• Jenna Franklin – Mary Ella Powell Memorial Scholarship

• Akirrah Robinson – Barbara Walkden Scholarship, Ray Ricordati Jr. Memorial Scholarship

• Sarah Bracket, Maxwell Arbanas, Addison Warmbein – Carol D. Baker Memorial Scholarship

• Saleen Brennan – Robert J. Rotzien Scholarship

• Grantland Waggoner – Roma Holmes Scholarship

• Emma Miller – Hike for Higher Education Scholarship

• Jake Franklin – Janet Funk Racht Memorial Scholarship

• Alyssa Carson – Janet L. Mottl Memorial Scholarship

• Brooke Strefling – Galien Ambulance, Ray E. Babcock Memorial, and Galien Township School District Scholarships

• Evyn Pruett – Bill Weaver Memorial Scholarship, Fay Frazee Nursing Scholarship

• Ava Graham – Thaddeus Russell Stephens Memorial Scholarship

• Alaina Hickok – Jane Davis Health Careers Scholarship

Niles

• Kylie Conn – George & Margaret Contois Scholarship

• Angelica Mazumder – Jeanne Griffin Memorial Scholarship, Stephen Tyler Memorial Scholarship

• Rowan Iwaniuk – Stephen Tyler Memorial Scholarship

• Zachary Hines – Niles Historical Scholarship, AJ Smith Memorial Scholarship

• Aydan McCarey – OW Coolidge Scholarship, Thomas A. Roberts Memorial Scholarship

• Peyton Burger – Dr. James & Leila Munro Scholarship

• Elias Babler – AJ Smith Memorial Scholarship

Brandywine

• Adelyn Drotoz – Carol Thurston Scholarship

• Bailey Roeder – Jay & Cecile McCombs Scholarship

• Adeline Gill – Ralph & Margaret Vosburgh Family Scholarship

• Lexi Troup – Class of 1973 Alumni Scholarship

• Carter Sobecki – Ann Coulston Memorial Scholarship

• Monserrat Avina – Class of 1967 Memorial Scholarship, Niles-Buchanan Rotary Scholarship

• Niyah Mason – Class of 1967 Memorial Scholarship, Schimmel Family Scholarship

• Ireland Prenkert – Maudie Smith/Roberts Memorial Scholarship

Cassopolis

• Adrianna Broussard – Cass School Foundation Scholarship, Marabeth Wright Memorial Scholarship

• Mackenzie Boyer & Nola Hawkins – Cass School Foundation Scholarship

• Caitlyn Jones – Carol Beck-Miller Pets Alive Scholarship

• Brayden Rice – Cass Mental Health Scholarship

• Devyn Garcia – Joseph Norton Sheterton Memorial Scholarship

Berrien Springs

• Abygayle Jacques – Lee F. Auble Memorial Scholarship

Edwardsburg

• Carsen Cebra – Lloyd Bywaters Memorial Scholarship

• Carter Houseworth – Cass Mental Health Scholarship

Dowagiac

• Alainna Preston – Cass Mental Health Scholarship

These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of individuals, families, and organizations who believe in the transformative power of education.

The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation is honored to carry on their legacy and help students throughout our region thrive. To learn more about how you can support local students or start a scholarship fund of your own, visit www.mgcf.org, call us at (269) 695-3521, or email scholarships@mgcf.org

Now Accepting Applications for 2025-2026 Youth Advisory Council

Are you a high school student who wants to make a real impact in your community? Do you care about helping others, gaining leadership experience, and being a voice for youth in Southwest Michigan?

The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation (MGCF) is actively recruiting new members for its Youth Advisory Council (YAC) — and we want YOU to be part of it!

Who Can Join?

We’re looking for high school students from the following school districts:

• Niles

• Buchanan

• Brandywine

• Dowagiac

• Edwardsburg

• Marcellus

If you're passionate about your community and eager to grow as a leader, this is your chance to get involved.

To join YAC for the 2025–2026 school year, email Jpopielski@mgcf.org to request an application.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be a force for positive change in your community. Apply today and help build a better tomorrow — one idea at a time.

Wrapping Up a Great Year: Final Kickstart to Career Deposit Day!

On May 15, 2025, students at Ottawa Elementary, Moccasin Elementary, and Buchanan Middle School celebrated their final Kickstart to Career deposit day of the school year — and what a great year it’s been!

Through the Kickstart to Career program, hundreds of local students have been learning valuable lessons about saving, financial responsibility, and goal-setting. With each deposit day, students had the opportunity to build positive money habits and watch their savings grow — a real investment in their future!

The excitement and pride on deposit days have been incredible to see, and we’re so proud of the students who participated, the families who encouraged them, and the educators and school staff who made each deposit day a success.

A huge thank-you to the staff at Ottawa Elementary, Moccasin Elementary, and Buchanan Middle School for welcoming us into your schools and supporting your students’ financial futures. Your enthusiasm makes a difference!

We’d also like to thank our partners at Honor Credit Union who help make each deposit day meaningful and fun!

Welcome Catherine to the team!

We’re thrilled to welcome Catherine Lietz to the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation team! Catherine joins us in a role that’s especially meaningful to her—supporting Buchanan Promise students and other scholarship recipients—because she’s a Buchanan Promise scholar herself.

A 2020 graduate of Buchanan High School, Catherine used the Buchanan Promise to attend Eastern Michigan University, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2024. Her passion for education and student success brought her back to BHS, where she currently serves as the College Advisor for the 2024-25 school year. In addition to her work with students, she shares her love of music by teaching vocal lessons in Niles.

Outside of work, Catherine enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, and spending quality time with her sisters. We’re excited to have her bring her energy, experience, and unique perspective to the Foundation as she helps guide the next generation of scholarship recipients.

Please join us in giving Catherine a warm welcome!

Lyons Reading Fund Brings the Joy of Books to Dowagiac Middle School Students

Dowagiac, MI – The Lyons Reading Fund, created in 2021 by the Lyons Family through the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation (MGCF), continues to inspire a love for reading among students at Dowagiac Middle School. Established to support Dowagiac Union Schools in their mission to improve literacy across all grade levels, the fund has now provided more than 1,600 books to middle school students over the past four years.

While many literacy initiatives focus on early childhood or high school, the Lyons Reading Fund was designed to fill a gap at the middle school level—an essential time for nurturing a lifelong reading habit. This year, English teachers once again worked closely with students to select books that not only reflect their interests but also connect to next year’s curriculum. Each student received their book ahead of summer break, helping bridge the "summer reading gap" that often affects learning retention.

On May 2, 2025, the Lyons Family visited the school to meet with students and share in their excitement about reading. Don Lyons shared a message that deeply resonated with both students and staff:

“I feel the greatest gift you can give someone is knowledge, and the best and easiest way to acquire knowledge is by reading... Our family’s hope is that by providing young people with the opportunity to read about things that interest them, it will set them on a lifelong journey of acquiring knowledge.”

The program has become a highly anticipated tradition at Dowagiac Middle School. Teachers and staff play a key role in organizing the book distribution each year. Dr. Michael Dunn, Superintendent of Dowagiac Union Schools, emphasized the impact:

“Dowagiac Schools is extremely thankful for this program. Each year, our middle school students look forward to the Lyons Reading Program. They get excited about being able to choose a book that they get to keep. As the books come in and get labeled, students are begging to get them in their hands.”

The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation, established in 1977, proudly supports programs like the Lyons Reading Fund through the generosity of donors in southern Berrien County and Cass County. Gifts of all sizes contribute to these lasting community funds, helping improve lives across generations.

To learn more about MGCF or to support programs like the Lyons Reading Fund, visit www.mgcf.org or contact Michael P. Rowland at (269) 695-3521.

2025 Common Concert Series

Buchanan Common Concert Series Kicks Off June 5

Get ready for another unforgettable season of live music under the stars at the Buchanan Common Concert Series! Presented by the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation and the City of Buchanan, this free summer concert series brings music lovers together every Thursday and Saturday from June through August, right in the heart of downtown Buchanan.

The series opens on Thursday, June 5 at 7 PM with a performance by the Buchanan High School Band—a community favorite and a perfect way to launch a season filled with soul, rock, jazz, country, and everything in between.

Bring your lawn chairs, picnic blankets, friends, and family for a season of music, community, and summer fun.

Want to See the Full Schedule or Learn More?

Visit mgcf.org/summer-concert-series or follow The Buchanan Common on Facebook for the latest updates and announcements.

For more information on grants, scholarships, YAC, or anything else visit www.mgcf.org