Promise Keeper

Michigan Promise Zones Association Honors Dr. Lori Tubbergen Clark 

Lansing, MI - Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) held its 10th annual conference in Lansing this week, including an acknowledgement of 13 outstanding postsecondary education practitioners and advocates from across the state at the recent awards dinner.
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“The College Access Impact Awards honor the individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary efforts to improve postsecondary attainment in Michigan, especially among low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. “The award winners play a crucial role in helping us reach “Sixty [percent] by 2030” through their dedicated efforts to improve college readiness, participation and completion within their communities and across the state. By working to build inclusive college-going cultures, these award winners are helping to create a brighter economic future for Michigan’s students.”

The Michigan Promise Zone Association bestows The Promise Keeper Award to individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to community-based programs using Promise Scholarships to expand educational opportunity and promote economic development. The 13 Promise Zones that comprise the Michigan Promise Zones Association were created through bipartisan legislation, first enacted in 2009. Each has established a broadly accessible scholarship program, to give students of all ages in their communities confidence that they will be able to afford education after high school.

In recognition of their extraordinary contribution to community-based programs that are using Promise Scholarships to expand educational opportunity and promote economic development, the Michigan Promise Zones Association presented the Promise Keeper Award to Dr. Lori Tubbergen Clark, governing board chairperson of Newaygo County Area Promise, and Joyce Seals, governing board chairperson of Saginaw Promise.

“It’s an incredible honor to receive the Promise Keeper Award and a privilege to serve Newaygo County students with this initiative,” says Dr. Lori Tubbergen Clark. “The greatest honor, however, goes to each donor, Promise Zone Board member and the entire team who has supported our efforts to keep our promise to Newaygo County students for a tuition-free path to college and career credentials, and to create a pipeline of talent for our local workforce.”

The Newaygo County Area Promise Zone provides high school graduates with a tuition-free path to an associate degree from at least one institution. We believe every student, regardless of financial means, should have the opportunity to earn post-secondary credentials. The 2022 Newaygo County Promise Scholarship application will be available starting Monday, January 3, 2022, and can be found online at www.promise.zone. For more information call 231-924-8888.