Eastern Michigan University grad inspires students to take the leap, apply for scholarships
YPSILANTI, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - An Eastern Michigan University graduate is showing his appreciation for those who helped make his college dreams come true.
"Right when I got that phone call, my whole life changed," said Frank Majewski.
Growing up in Clinton Township, Majewski dreamed of a career that could take him around the world.
"My family didn't have the most money but they always wanted me to go to college, so I really worked hard for that," said Majewski.
In the 10th grade, Majewski joined the program Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars to jumpstart that dream.
"What they did for me is opened my eyes to the world of college," he stated.
The nonprofit, which started in 1990, works with nearly 450 students a year in underserved communities in grades 10 through 12 at more than a dozen high schools across Metro Detroit to prepare them for college.
The organization also serves roughly 650 alumnus students yearly.
"We do college campus visits, SAT prep, college advising, making sure students see their best fit for post-secondary institution," said Christa Funk, Executive Director of Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars.
Funk says each student part of the program gets a $4,000 scholarship from the organization alone.
"Then they get college coaching as well, making sure that they make it to campus and persist and earn that degree," Funk stated.
"If I was to never join Dollars for Scholars, I can only imagine where I'd end up right now. I probably wouldn't had gone to college. I might had tried, but the money would have been way too hard for me," said Majewski.
The organization also has the opportunity to work with donors to provide specialty scholarships for students, including the Provost Scholarship, a full-ride to Eastern Michigan University that changed Majewski's life in 2019.
"When I was Frank's age, someone gave me a scholarship to go to school. And with that opportunity, I then got into banking and became very successful," said David Provost.
Provost, the brains behind the scholarship, says his goal is to now pay it forward.
"It gives me a great feeling and gives me the same satisfaction that I'm sure somebody felt 50 years ago when they gave me a scholarship. So, to be able to provide an opportunity for someone who might not be able to go to college otherwise is a really good feeling for me," Provost stated.
"I relive this moment in my head all the time. It meant everything to me and my family. They didn't have to take a chance on me," said Majewski.
Majewski, a recent Eastern Michigan University graduate as of August 2023, is eager to see where his career in International Business will take him.
In the meantime, he hopes to encourage all students to take that leap of faith.
"If they're planning on applying for a scholarship or taking the time to write an essay for a scholarship, I would tell them do it. You never know," he said.
Every year, only one student is chosen as the recipient for the full-ride Provost Scholarship to EMU. The scholarship is only available for students' part of the Dollars for Scholars program.
