Meet Our 2023 Scholarship Recipients

Peyton Metz was born in Traverse City and is graduating from Traverse City West High School. She’s a member of the National Honor Society as well as the National Spanish Honor Society. Along with basketball, 4-H, and figure skating, she has played softball, including travel, for as long as she can remember. In the fall, Peyton will be in the Honors College at the University of Alabama to pursue a degree in business, specializing in health services management. Her goal is to someday be the CEO of a hospital and eventually run a network of hospitals.

Emma Nelson is a graduate of Leland Public School and will be attending the University of Michigan this fall. Emma participated in the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Student Council, Varsity Golf, and Natural Helpers. She is co-valedictorian of her graduating class and received the Rural and Small Town Recognition Award from College Board. She volunteered for two years as a Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) junior ski instructor for the Crystal Community Ski Club (CCSC) program at Crystal Mountain and has been involved in the Traverse Symphony Orchestra Sinfonia String Orchestra for the past three semesters. Emma is thankful to all who supported her throughout the last four years and is excited to continue exploring her interests at university.

Bethany Schutte is graduating from Traverse City West Senior High. After graduation, she plans to attend Montana State University, in Bozeman, to major in biochemistry/pre-med. She enjoys a number of outdoor activities across beautiful Northern Michigan, including hiking, Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and paddle boarding. She also recently obtained her EMT basic license and looks forward to working on an ambulance this summer, getting valuable hands-on experience in the medical field.

Mallory MacDonald attends Michigan State University and is pursuing a master’s degree in social sciences, specifically family community studies. Mallory graduated from Saginaw Valley State University in December 2018 with an education degree and decided to pursue a career in child welfare with the state of Michigan. Through these experiences, Mallory decided to obtain higher education to better serve families and the community. Mallory is a local sports coach at Traverse City West Senior High and plans to continue to give back to the community.

Ava Plamondon is studying aviation at Northwestern Michigan College. She’s a student pilot currently working towards earning her Private Pilot License (PPL). This fall, she begins work to become Instrument Rated (IR) as the next step to fulfilling her goal to become a commercial airline pilot.