Flint Promise celebrates 35 new college graduates

For Logan Coon, it’s unlikely he would have attended college had he not received the Flint Promise. But as a resident of the city of Flint and a graduate of a high school located in the city, Coon was eligible to receive the scholarship. As a result, he now has a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the University of Michigan-Flint.

“It was really like a God’s send,” said Coon, who graduated from Powers Catholic High School in 2019 and started his secondary education at Mott Community College. “Just getting out of high school, there was no way I could have attended (college) without the Flint Promise’s help.”

Coon is one of 35 Flint Promise scholars to graduate during the 2023-24 school year from Kettering University, Mott Community College, or the University of Michigan-Flint – the scholarship’s three partner schools. These recent grads bring the program’s total alumni base to 81 – an important milestone following the scholarship’s launch six years ago.

“We are incredibly proud to see another group of Flint Promise scholars graduate from college,” said Brianna Mosier, executive director of Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group. “Whether earning a certificate, associate’s, or bachelor’s degree, they’ve invested their education and are now better prepared for success because of it. We look forward to seeing what great things they go on to do.”

The last-dollar scholarship, which is housed at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and facilitated by Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, goes beyond financial support for recipients. It also offers a support system for students as they navigate the ins and outs of going to college.

“James Washington (my success coach) has been very helpful in directing me to services that can help me, like tutoring,” Coon said. “Having people there always in our corner is super appreciated. I always had someone reach out to me to ensure I was doing alright.” 

Lauren Igram echoed those sentiments by noting that it was with encouragement from her success coach that she pursued a nursing degree at Mott Community College and, upon her December 2023 graduation, moved on to the University of Michigan-Flint.

“I have been an ER nurse since then and I absolutely love my job,” Igram said. “Now I am doing my bachelor’s. I plan on getting my doctorate in nursing and becoming a nurse practitioner.”

Igram is still able to use the scholarship while she attends UM-Flint and said she knows that she can always to the program for help.

“It’s given me the peace of mind knowing that everything is covered with school and that I don’t need to break my back working even more hours than I already do,” Igram said. “I can actually focus on school.”

For Jacquay Renfro, as of this month, he is an alum of Southwestern Classical Academy, Mott Community College, and now Kettering University. He’s looking forward to starting a new position as control engineer at Ford this summer.

According to Renfro, it was the support of the Flint Promise and its success coaches that helped him keep his goals in focus throughout his college career. As to what advice he’d give other students that might be interested in the Flint Promise scholarship, he said the sky is the limit.

“Exhaust all your resources in the Flint Promise program,” Renfro said. “Make sure you meet with your coaches. Get to know your community, because networking is essential. Make the most of it.”