Three More Awards

Shortly after Ruth’s accident, I established the Tebo Family Scholarship Fund. She and I had talked about creating it just a few weeks earlier. We considered supporting students from four different school districts: Plainwell, where she grew up and we met; Addison, where we raised our three children and lived for forty-three years; Adrian, where she spent her final teaching years; and Britton-Macon, where I served as superintendent for sixteen years. All were strong choices, but we ultimately chose Addison because David, Elizabeth, and Michael spent all their public school years there. We made the decision before her accident, but her passing sped up the process. David, Elizabeth, Michael, and I discussed the eligibility criteria and agreed on everything.

We aren’t focused on a student’s financial need or potential career path. We want to hear their stories. Who they are and what they aspire to be guided every decision we’ve made. Over the past four graduation seasons, we’ve read dozens of applications from many deserving candidates, held Zoom interviews with several, and last Wednesday awarded three new scholarships to three great kids. From the start, our goal was to award one scholarship each year, but we’ve only managed to hit that mark once.  To date, we’ve made awards to a total of nine students. That’s more than double our original goal.

The funds we’ve raised have been placed in an endowed scholarship fund. The money is invested in a diversified portfolio, and I don’t have to do anything but raise the money.  Experts handle the investing, so scholarship funds will be available forever. That’s a long time.  It’s a gift that will keep on giving long after all of us are gone.  That’s the beauty of it.

David and I presented Wednesday’s awards, and I shared a few words with those in attendance.

“I was hired on August 16, 1977, the day Elvis Presley died, which was also the year Addison Middle School opened at a construction cost of $1,000,000. Ruth and I were thirty then, raised our three children in the district, and lived here for forty-three years. Our youngest son, Michael, wasn’t born yet, Elizabeth was six months old, and our oldest, David, was two and a half. We kept feeding and watering him, and he grew into the man who has accompanied me tonight.”

David took it from there, talking about his career path and explaining the process we used to evaluate applicants. He highlighted that we conducted Zoom interviews to get to know them, focusing on who they are and what they hope to achieve. Our family aims to support people in ways that suit them best, and this year we decided to award three scholarships.

Ava plans to attend Jackson College to study pediatric dental hygiene. Grace is headed to Western Michigan University to become a nurse, and Nevaeh, a fifth-generation Addison graduate, will work toward her teaching credentials at Adrian College. We need them all.

After all the awards were handed out, Nevaeh, Ava, and Grace came over to thank David and me. Everyone joined in the conversation and the girls wanted a picture with us or maybe it was me with them. In any case, that’s when we found out most of their parents had been my students back when I was Addison’s elementary school principal. I remembered Nevaeh’s dad, Jeremy and Ava’s dad, Michael. Their moms were former students too. It was pretty cool.

I didn’t remember all the faces, but I knew the names.  I left my job in the district thirty-five years ago, so I think that’s pretty good.

The more we talked, the more I jokingly took credit for the girls’ success. With most of the parents being my former students, it only made sense – at least to me – that my influence on them led to the girls’ achievements. No one argued, so I took their silence as agreement, though everyone laughed when I explained my theory.  I think laughter’s a good thing.

I’ve already started thinking about what’s coming next year. If all goes as planned, I’ll have sold my Michigan home, but I’ll fly back to help present next year’s students with their award. I’ll stay with David and his crew, though their numbers are thinning too. Eva graduates next Thursday, and like Addison’s Grace, she plans to study nursing which is great because we can use all the nurses we can get.

From my experience, most graduates don’t really know what they want to study after high school. That’s one reason we support those who do. Our candidates don’t have to aim for a four-year degree.  They just need to understand there’s always more to do, no matter the path they choose. We’re never done learning, and I’m sure these girls will keep on keepin on even if they change the path they’ve started.  They’ll do well wherever life leads them.

I haven’t used this platform to solicit donations to our scholarship fund for about three years.  I’ve got some new readers now so if you’d like to contribute, send your donation to the Tebo Family Scholarship Fund c/o The Lenawee Community Foundation 440 W. Maumee Street   Adrian, MI 49221.  And to those of you who already have, thank you for helping us invest in Navaeh, Ava and Grace.