Fremont Area Community Foundation recently awarded its first Make Newaygo County Home Scholarships to three local recipients, including Ty Spickerman of Fremont and Katelynn Sytsma of White Cloud.
The Make Newaygo County Home Scholarship was designed for adults who have recently finished their post-secondary education and plan to live and work in Newaygo County. Recipients Spickerman and Sytsma both grew up in Newaygo County and have chosen to live here as adults.
“Newaygo County has been home for me as long as I can remember,” said Sytsma. “I spent my summers preparing for and enjoying the Newaygo County Fair.”
Sytsma currently works as an assistant manager at Wesco in Fremont. She explained, “I gained my love of the community and for being a leader through the many opportunities to give back and make a positive impact.”
The Make Newaygo County Home Scholarship is helping Sytsma pay off college debt. Her goal is to have a home of her own in Newaygo County. Sytsma said, “I am so grateful and blessed for the opportunity this scholarship will give me and can’t wait to see what my future holds.”
Spickerman grew up in Fremont and said it “gave me every opportunity I could have hoped for—opportunities that truly shaped who I am.”
While he has worked in different fields, his passion has always been rooted in serving the community. He now works as the Newaygo County Area Promise Zone Success Coach where he helps students plan for life after high school.
“Supporting students through pivotal seasons of their lives and playing even a small part in their success is incredibly rewarding,” Spickerman said. “The scholarship has been a tremendous support to my wife and I, especially as we were able to purchase our home in Fremont this past summer. We are incredibly grateful to Fremont Area Community Foundation. This scholarship is yet another example of the ongoing mission and generosity that make our community so special.”
The Make Newaygo County Home Scholarship was based on the idea of a “reverse scholarship.” Instead of being awarded at the start of a recipient’s post-secondary education or training, this scholarship was designed to come at the finish and to help recipients with student loan repayment, a down payment on a home or car, or other expenses related to making Newaygo County home.
