Copyright M Live Michigan
KALAMAZOO, MI -- A new $15,000 scholarship will support three first-generation students at Western Michigan University, funded by WMU’s president and the professors union. WMU President Russ Kavalhuna made a $10,500 personal contribution joined by $4,500 from the WMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (WMU-AAUP) to create the scholarship fund, according to a press release from WMU. “I had my life changed from being a student at Western Michigan University, and I wanted to be part of helping that be the reality for more students,” Kavalhuna said. Kavalhuna was named WMU’s 10th president in April. Attending WMU is a tradition for his family, he said in a letter to the university community. Kavalhuna’s father, a first-generation college student, graduated from WMU after emigrating to the United States from Brazil. Scholarship recipients will receive $5,000 each. Eligibility is limited to students who are the first in their families to attend college. Kavalhuna said he worked with the WMU-AAUP to decide the focus of the scholarship. “They said, ‘You seem to have some passion for first-generation students, should we focus it on them?’ And I said, ‘Yes,’” Kavalhuna said. The scholarship is also a testament to the partnership between Kavalhuna and faculty, Kavalhuna said. “The faculty understand what a great return on investment we can make in human capital when we interact with first-generation students,” Kavalhuna said. Selected students will have shown a strong interest in advancing justice, peace, democracy or health through education, according to the release. “Those are parts of our society right now that I think have an opportunity for Broncos to play major leadership roles in right away,” Kavalhuna said.
