ChoiceOne Bank is pleased announce the Annual ChoiceOne Scholarship Essay Contest designed to provide needs-based scholarships for graduating seniors in the local communities the Bank serves.
As the local community bank, ChoiceOne wants to encourage and reward graduating seniors who are motivated to obtain a degree. The ChoiceOne Scholarship will award a one-time scholarship of $1,000 to each recipient for their first year of college. Spanning Michigan, ChoiceOne Bank will select 12 winners. Six students on the west side of Michigan, and six students from the east side of Michigan (12 total).
“We are committed to the families in our communities across Michigan,” said ChoiceOne Bank President Michael J. Burke, Jr. “Our seniors are the next generation of leaders and we believe it’s important for them to realize the benefits of being raised and educated in a caring and supportive local community.”
Scholarship Essay Contest
The ChoiceOne Bank Scholarship Essay Contest begins January 18 and will remain open until Friday, March 12. To apply, students are asked to write a 500 word or less essay about one of their community-service experiences – describing why they got involved, who benefited and how they benefited. Students must submit their application and supporting documents by Friday, March 12. See choiceone.com/scholarship to complete a Scholarship Application.
Supporting documents required include completion of the online application, the student’s high school transcript or GED documentation, and the first page of each prior year tax return for the parents/guardians and student.
Previous winners who received a renewable scholarship from Lakestone Bank & Trust in 2019 or earlier, can complete the scholarship extension application at choiceone.com/extension. This scholarship will be paid directly to the college by ChoiceOne Bank.
Who Can Participate:
Eligible candidates from the communities ChoiceOne Bank serves include high school seniors, GED recipients in the current calendar year that have not started college classes, and home school students with documentation of high school equivalency and college eligibility in our communities who are planning to attend an accredited two-year or four-year college in Michigan in the fall of 2021. ChoiceOne Bank serves communities in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Lapeer, St. Clair and Macomb counties.
“We believe it takes a village to raise a family and we take great interest in helping the youth in our communities,” said Burke. “It is our hope that our students return to their roots to raise their families and grow their businesses. Writing this essay for a potential scholarship helps our youth understand the importance of community service.”