Derrick Bouwma Awarded MacDonald Scholarship

Derrick Bouwma (second from left) receives the George and Anne MacDonald Memorial Scholarship. Pictured are Anne Tassier, Mr. Bouwma, Sue Atkins-Wagner, and Tim Nye. (Photograph courtesy of the Chippewa County Community Foundation)

Derrick Bouwma of Drummond Island, a 2008 graduate of DeTour Area High School, has been selected as the 2008 recipient of the George and Anne MacDonald Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship has been established within the Chippewa County Community Foundation by the family of George and Anne MacDonald to honor their legacy of independence, excellence, and faith.

Mr. Bouwma will be attending Lake Superior State University, studying mechanical engineering. While a student at the DeTour Area Schools, he participated in golf and track along with being active in his church's youth group. During this time he also worked at Island Log Homes and started his own lawn mowing business, managing the care of 18 lawns.

In an essay about why he wants to pursue a career in engineering, he wrote, "I believe that engineering is the appropriate career choice for me because I am creative and inventive. I am always trying to think of new ways to build things or a more effective way of doing something."

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a resident of the Pickford Area School District, Les Cheneaux Community School District, DeTour Area School District, or the Rudyard Area School District. Home-schooled students and graduates from any of the listed schools who have been out of school for several years but have decided to attend college are encouraged to apply. The scholarship is for study toward a Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a preference given to certain engineering fields. The amount of the award is $10,000 per student, spread over four years.

Application packets for the 2009 scholarship are available at the Chippewa County Community Foundation, or the school district counseling offices. For more information, contact Sue Atkins- Wagner, executive director of the Chippewa County Community Foundation, at 635-1046.