Sterling Heights recognizes 13 scholarship recipients; $23,000 awarded

At a special meeting, the Sterling Heights City Council and the Sterling Heights Area Community Foundation presented 13 scholarships totaling $23,000 to local students pursuing college or vocational training.

Carl Ascoyan, executive director and president emeritus of the Sterling Heights Area Community Foundation, said the foundation has presented scholarships since 1999 and that this year eight partners funded 13 awards totaling $23,000 to area students. "This really is one of the highlights of our year," Ascoyan said as he introduced the evening’s recipients and sponsors.

The foundation awarded three $3,000 scholarships: Zena Fawaz (Jean L. Clida Utica Academy for International Studies; plans to attend Wayne State University), Luke Malca (Henry Ford II High School; plans to attend Alma College) and Kayla Thomas (Utica Academy; plans to attend Bowling Green State University for forensic science). Melanie Davis, a foundation board member and the city’s community relations director, presented those awards.

Corporate and endowed awards followed. Angie Loman, treasurer of the foundation and a BAE Systems retiree, presented a $1,000 BAE Systems STEM scholarship to Carson Ahern (Adlai Stevenson High School; plans to attend Wayne State and pursue ROTC). A General Dynamics Land Systems representative presented the General Dynamics scholarship to Shayla Lapierre (Jean L. Clida Utica Academy; 4.24 GPA; plans to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study data science).

Manzella & Son’s $1,000 vocational scholarship was announced but the sponsor was unable to attend because of weather-related business damage; Ascoyan announced the recipient, Landon Law (interested in HVAC and entrepreneurship). Michael Nardi, foundation director and secretary, presented the Mayor Richard J. Notte Scholarship for Public Service ($1,000) to Samantha McKay (Cousino High School; plans to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville).

City Manager Mark Vanderpool presented the $1,000 Professional Public Management Education Scholarship to Yara Abu-Zaynah (Jean L. Clida Utica Academy; 4.24 GPA), who plans to attend Columbia University and has founded a youth recovery support initiative and a small handcrafted business to fund it. Vanderpool praised the cohort of awardees and presented Yara’s scholarship as a mark of civic promise.

Board member Ronald Himler presented three $2,000 Ronald Himler Science Scholarships to Skyler Barbu (Stevenson High School; plans to study biology at Michigan State University), Gianna D'Angelo (Henry Ford II High School; plans to study engineering at Michigan State) and Dara Ruwala (Stevenson High School; plans to study biology at the University of Michigan). Himler told the audience, "Our society depends on scientists and engineers," and congratulated the winners on their academic achievements.

The Selfridge Air National Guard Base Community Council awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Macy Cool (Dakota High School; plans to pursue aviation flight science at Western Michigan University), and Wujek-Calcaterra & Sons awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Rosalind Lass (Bishop Foley Catholic High School; plans to study nursing at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor).

Following the presentations, Mayor Taylor put forward a resolution "to recognize and congratulate recipients of scholarships awarded through the 2026 Sterling Heights Area Community Foundation Scholarship Program." The motion was moved, supported and carried by the council. Several council members offered brief congratulations to the students during the meeting. Mayor Taylor closed the meeting after inviting participants to a group photo on the front steps.

The meeting record shows no public comments were offered during the communications-from-citizens portion.