Amanda J. Mierzwa Memorial Fund Announces 2023 Scholarship Winners

(June 5, 2023 9:02 AM ET) The Amanda J. Mierzwa Memorial Fund has announced its 2023 scholarship winners, thirteen outstanding young women from Jackson County high schools.

• Zoe Dotts-Brown, a 2020 graduate of Grass Lake is awarded a $1500 renewal scholarship.
• Sophie Covalle, a 2020 graduate of Jackson High is awarded a $1000 renewal scholarship.
• Eleanor Durkee, a 2020 graduate of Grass Lake is awarded a $500 renewal scholarship.
• Kaelin Schiffer, a 2021 graduate of Jackson High is awarded a $1500 renewal scholarship.
• Lindsey Stiles, a 2021 graduate of Columbia Central is awarded a $1250 renewal scholarship.
• Faith Smith, a 2022 graduate of Lumen Christi is awarded a $1500 renewal scholarship.
• Monroop Bamrah, a 2022 graduate of Jackson High is awarded a $1500 renewal scholarship.
• Ella Stage, a 2023 graduate of Napoleon is awarded a $1000 scholarship.
• Sydney Kellar, a 2023 graduate of Western is awarded a $1000 scholarship.
• Ella Easterday, a 2023 graduate of Grass Lake is awarded a $1000 scholarship.
• Ellie Weed, a 2023 graduate of Jackson High is awarded a $1000 scholarship.
• Julia Hastings, a 2023 graduate of Jackson High is awarded a $750 scholarship.
• Emerson McKay, a 2023 graduate of Jackson High is awarded a $750 scholarship.

The fund, established in 2017, is in memory of a beloved and brilliant scientist, Amanda Mierzwa. Amanda was raised and educated in Jackson County (Western School District) before heading off to the University of Michigan for her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, earning her master’s degree and PhD from the New York University School of Medicine, and launching a successful career in neuroscience at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Sadly, Ms. Mierzwa passed away in 2015 at age 34 after a courageous battle against triple negative breast cancer.

Scholarships are awarded annually to one or more female graduates of a Jackson County, Michigan high school who are majoring in a STEM discipline at the University of Michigan– Ann Arbor. As a general guideline, recipients will have demonstrated excellent performance in their academic career as well as significant participation in activities contributing to the betterment of society.

With these awards, a total of 59 scholarships totaling $64,000 have been awarded to date.