This year’s Fred and Lena Meijer Scholarship program awarded $620,000 in scholarships to support the educational aspirations of our team members and their children. The scholarship fund was originally created in 1975 to support children of Meijer team members and was expanded in 2010 to include our team members as well.
One of this year’s recipients, Benjamin Doolittle, is not only a child of a current team member—his mother Dani works in the electronics department of our Manistee, Mich. store—but also a team member in his own right, working in the store’s meat department.
““This scholarship means a lot to me because it helps to make my first year of college debt-free,” Doolittle said. “This way, I can focus my time towards studying for my Bachelor’s in Construction Management. Maybe someday I will be supervising the building of more Meijer stores.”
Recipient Moaray Hunter-Moore, an aspiring illustrator and daughter to Sherray Hunter, a cashier at our Knapp’s Corner, Mich. store, encourages team members and their children to apply.
“Not only do I believe [this scholarship] will further my education, but it has enhanced the passion I have for the arts,” Hunter-Moore said. “I don't know if I would have been able to attend college this upcoming year without this assistance. I would like to encourage those next year, team members and their children, to apply for this scholarship because it can help you pursue your goals and successes in the next chapter of your life."
“This is such a good resource and great to see Meijer invest in me,” said Joseph Wilkerson, receiving clerk at our Carmel, Ind. store. “Thank you, Meijer, for helping me better myself.”
The Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship is administered and awarded by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and is based on financial need, academics and community involvement. A written essay of aspirations and educational goals is also part of the application process.