An Eastern Michigan University graduate inspires students to take the plunge and apply for scholarships

YPSILANTI, Michigan (CBS DETROIT) – A graduate of Eastern Michigan University expresses appreciation for those who helped make his college dreams come true.

“The moment I got that call, my whole life changed,” said Frank Majewski.

Majewski grew up in Clinton Township and dreamed of a career that could take him all over the world.

“My family didn’t have the most money, but they always wanted me to go to college, so I worked really hard for that,” Majewski said.

In 10th grade, Majewski joined the Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars program to jump-start that dream.

“What they did for me opened my eyes to the world of college,” he said.

Founded in 1990, the nonprofit works with nearly 450 students a year in underserved communities in grades 10 through 12 at more than a dozen Metro Detroit high schools to prepare them for college.

The organization also serves approximately 650 alumnus students each year.

“We do college campus visits, SAT prep, college counseling, and make sure students see they are the best fit for a post-secondary institution,” said Christa Funk, executive director of Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars.

Funk says that each student who participates in the program will receive a $4,000 scholarship from the organization alone.

“Then they also get college coaching, to make sure they make it to campus and persevere and get that degree,” Funk said.

“If I never joined Dollars for Scholars, I can only imagine where I’d end up now. I probably wouldn’t have gone to college. I might have tried, but the money would be way too hard for me to have been me,” said Majewski.

The organization also has the opportunity to work with donors to provide special scholarships for students, including the Provost Scholarship, a full-ride to Eastern Michigan University that changed Majewski’s life in 2019.

“When I was Frank’s age, someone gave me a scholarship to go to school. And with that opportunity, I went into banking and became very successful,” says David Provost.

Provost, the mastermind behind the grant, says his goal is to pay it off now.

“It makes me feel great and gives me the same satisfaction that someone probably felt 50 years ago when they gave me a scholarship. So to be able to provide an opportunity to someone who might not be able to go to university otherwise it’s a very good feeling for me,” said Provost.

“I relive this moment in my head all the time. It meant everything to me and my family. They didn’t have to take any chances with me,” said Majewski.

Majewski, who recently graduated from Eastern Michigan University in August 2023, is excited to see where his career in International Business will take him.

In the meantime, he hopes to encourage all students to take that leap of faith.

“If they intend to apply for a scholarship or take the time to write a scholarship essay, I would tell them to do that. You never know,” he said.

Each year, only one student is chosen as a recipient of the full Provost Scholarship for EMU. The scholarship is only available for the student portion of the Dollars for Scholars program.