MSCI awards $4,500 in grants and scholarships

Every year the MSCI awards grants and scholarships to high school and college students to further our mission of supporting speech activities in the state of Michigan. Last year the MSCI awarded $4,500 in grants and scholarships. Our grant recipients included: MIFA $1,000 for a middle school theatre competition, along with the Detroit Urban Debate League, $500 to support programs and trophies. Scholarships included: four $500 scholarships for students from Groves High School to continue their education in speech activities by attending summer debate camps, and Katarina Moore, $1000, to further her college education toward becoming a teacher and coach of speech activities.

A note from Katarina Moore

During the 2019 Mackinac Conference, I received a grant from MSCI that was put toward my summer classes, bringing me closer to my goal of becoming a Michigan Speech and Debate coach. I have been pursuing a Secondary Education Teaching Certification with a major in English and minor in Speech, and I am happy to announce that I am over half-way finished with my programs, holding a 3.98 GPA through the Honors Program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn! Because of MSCI’s generous support of my collegiate education during the summer, I have been able to take more degree-specific classes during the regular school year, helping me to stay on track to graduate in four years or less. I continue to work with the Michigan Speech and Debate community by taking on various roles at both middle and high school tournaments. In the fall, I hope to begin the process of creating a Speech and Debate organization at UM-D in order to foster teams in metro-Detroit public schools that do not otherwise have the resources to start teams. Thank you for your loving guidance and assistance!

Originally published in the MSCI Year in Review, May 2020.