Community displays generosity at TAS career development fundraiser | News

EAST TAWAS – Those from Lake Life Cottages in East Tawas hosted an event on Sept. 12 to raise awareness and secure funding through pledges and annual giving, for the ongoing financial support of a Career Development Coordinator position at Tawas Area Schools (TAS).
The coordinator position reportedly enjoyed tremendous success in its first year. Therefore, the contributing individuals and foundations invited community leaders for dinner and a program overview, to share the successes with key stakeholders and ask for their continued support of the coordinator position for the 2024-2025 school year.
The idea for the Career Development Coordinator role was made possible, in large part, by Mary Jeanne Klenow. To start the process, she created a Field of Interest Fund (The Fund) within the Iosco County Community Foundation (ICCF), an affiliate of the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM).
Klenow’s generous gift to the fund in December 2022 made possible the creation of a coordinator position for the TAS district, for the 2023-2024 school year.
Lori Wojahn, one of the volunteers who helped plan the recent fundraising event, adds that to establish The Fund in her parents’ names, Klenow gifted the ICCF with a distribution from her retirement account.
The fundraising goal for the project is $1 million, in order to permanently secure the position of Career Development Coordinator in the TAS district.
This position will not only aid students from all walks of life to find their best abilities for their future, but it also secures a work force development process for the community, Wojahn continued.
Per the memorandum of understanding between TAS, the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency and CFNEM, “The Career Development Coordinator provides professional advising and academic support services to students in grades 8-12 at Tawas Area Schools with the goal of increasing career/college readiness, and post-secondary success.”
President of the ICCF Board of Directors, Cliff Miller, kicked off the evening with a video of the program, featuring an overview by the TAS Career Development Coordinator Brian Colorite.
The video also included testimonials by students who enjoyed great success through the program; remarks and a history of the program’s beginning by Klenow; and final notes, along with an appeal to supporters, by Susan Laidlaw.
Attendees were provided with the options to make a one-time gift, pledge an annual gift or continue their pledge over a three-year period.
Roger Covarrubias, one of the year’s successful students, shared his experience working with Colorite over the past year.
Colorite helped Covarrubias determine his career interest profile, his long-term career path, secure college scholarships and receive acceptance into Michigan State University this August.
Covarrubias says that he plans to complete a degree in human biology, and then enter the master’s degree program to become a physician assistant.
Colorite explained that he works will all students in grades 8-12 to, “navigate through their career decisions – college, military, technical school, et cetera.”
He teaches students about finances, how to save for the future, how to dress for success, the importance of punctuality and more.
Colorite says he wants to be sure that when students graduate, they have some certainty about what their next step will be.
Lake Life Cottages is owned by Sharon Whitford and her significant other, Phil Romine.
Whitford shared a written statement during the occasion from her daughter, Kasey Whitford, who now serves as a police officer in Ann Arbor.
Kasey wrote about her circuitous career path, choosing and changing her college major, earning her college degree and all the starts and stops she endured because she “tried to figure it all out by herself.”
She shared her story in hopes of encouraging the attendees to support the coordinator position, and help Tawas area students avoid the struggles she experienced.
More than 120 community leaders and individual contributors attended the event. They expressed overwhelming support for the coordinator position and the importance of providing financial gifts and pledges for the ongoing sustainability of the program.
Colorite stated that over the past year, he worked extensively with hundreds of students in grades 8-12, providing guidance in such key areas as college planning, résumé building, time management, investing, life skills, personal finance, college life and resources, financial literacy – and, of course, career development.
“This included comprehensive support with financial aid and scholarship applications, understanding the costs of college (comparing community colleges to four-year universities), navigating student loans, and professional etiquette in the workplace,” he elaborated.
Additionally, Colorite met with approximately 103 students who were eligible for the Tuition Incentive Program, to ensure they understood their eligibility for two years of paid college tuition, as well as the potential to receive $2,000 toward a bachelor’s degree, depending on their choice of a Michigan institution.
“I facilitated the engagement of 20 different colleges with Tawas Area High School, providing students the opportunity to meet with college representatives to gather up-to-date information on scholarships, admissions, campus life, academic programs, and tuition costs,” he explained. “Additionally, I invited all branches of the military to present opportunities to students interested in service.”
Students also participated in educational tours, including a visit to Kalitta Air, where they explored aviation careers and the apprenticeship program. They were able to take a tour of Central Michigan University, as well, to experience campus life firsthand.
“Looking ahead, I am eager to continue bringing in local employers to speak about various career paths and provide students with hands-on experiences by organizing visits to local job sites, allowing them to learn more about diverse work environments,” Colorite expressed.
Of the various contributors to this goal, Wojahn says that a generous donor has committed to the vision and will match gifts up to $100,000 – effectively doubling someone’s impact.
Donations are tax-deductible and can be spread out over several years, she advised.
For more information on donating or The Klenow Fund, contact Christine Hitch or Patrick Heraghty for assistance at 989-354-6881. E-mail inquiries can also be sent to [email protected].
If one must take a Required Minimum Deduction from their retirement account, they can have all or any portion of that paid directly to The Klenow Fund. Donating appreciated stocks is another excellent way to support The Fund, Wojahn notes.
“We hope the success of this initiative will serve as a pilot program and will inspire community members and donors to create similar opportunities for students in their communities, replicating the framework created by the Henry L. and Bernice M. Klenow Fund,” Miller adds.
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