Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Community College Foundation is creating retention scholarships for students enrolled in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, from grant monies received from the Xcel Energy Foundation.
“The Xcel grant offers an occasion to foster both student and faculty growth, so I am excited to challenge and be challenged by some of the brightest students on campus,” said Serena Mershon-Lohkamp, GCC chemistry instructor.
The college foundation received $4,000 and is one of only 63 nonprofits that were invited to apply for focus-area grant funding by the Xcel Energy Foundation. To be considered for grant funding, an organization has to perform in at least one of the foundation’s four focus areas: education, sustainability, environmental stewardship, and access to arts and culture.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Xcel,” said GCC President George McNulty.
McNulty said that the scholarships are available to all second-year students enrolled in a STEM program. He said the amount of the scholarships, as well as the number to be given out, will be based on the number of applicants. Students interested in applying for the scholarships can contact the college foundation or faculty.
Mershon-Lohkamp said she appreciates that the grant provides a broad discretion for the types of student engagement projects that qualify, as it will allow the faculty to work with the scholarship recipients to create “meaningful experiences outside the classroom,” that coincide with their personal interests and goals in STEM fields.
The Xcel Energy Foundation awarded nearly $320,000 dollars to “support their existing nonprofit partners that are facing difficulties during the pandemic,” according to a press release.
Xcel Energy increased both the amount of giving by nearly $70,000 this year and the number of recipients from 57 nonprofits to 63, according to spokeswoman Chris Ouellette.
“Our mission is to provide our customers safe, clean, reliable energy services, but we also know that the quality of life in our communities is equally important to their continued success,” said Mark Stoering, president of Xcel Energy in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Other recipients of the focus area grant funding are Barron County Historical Society in Cameron, Wisconsin, Family Support Center in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, St. Croix River Association in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Mabel Tainter Literary Library and Education Society in Menominee, Wisconsin, and Aptiv Family Services in La Crosse, Wisconsin.