Bay Commitment Scholarship opens doors for first-generation college students

This article is part of an ongoing #InspiringGenerosity series highlighting people, agencies, and programs the Bay Area Community Foundation supports.

At the end of her first year at Saginaw Valley State University, Kaylee Wald isn’t quite sure what she wants to do after college, but she knows she’s got the support she needs to realize the dream she chooses.

Wald, a 2024 John Glenn High School graduate, was part of the 2024 Bay Area Community Foundation Bay Commitment Scholarship Program.

Since 2008, the scholarship has helped first-generation college students attend Delta College or Saginaw Valley State University. The $2,000 scholarship goes to as many as 100 students each year. The program also includes mentoring and routine check-in meetings to make sure students stay on track.

Photo courtesy of Kaylee WaldKaylee Wald just finished her first year at SVSU.She says the Bay Commitment Scholarship helped her in several different ways.Wald had a hard time pinpointing what part of the Bay Commitment program was most meaningful for her.

Certainly, the scholarship money helped with college expenses. But the Bay Commitment Scholarship program also includes mentoring and routine check-ins to help first-generation college students navigate the system.

Both components of the scholarship helped Wald during her first year of college.

The Bay Commitment Scholarship, started in 2008, is only one facet of the Community Foundation’s scholarship offerings. The Foundation’s first endowed scholarship fund started in 1984 and was awarded for the first time in 1985. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $3 million to more than 4,000 students throughout Bay and Arenac counties.

One of the first recipients of the Bay Commitment Scholarship was Spencer Skorupski, founder and owner of Skorupski Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

Skorupski, who graduated from Bay City Western High School in 2008, says the scholarship helped pay for books and supplies during his time at Delta College.

“And the rest is history,” quips Skorupski, who will be a speaker at the 2025 Bay Commitment Ceremony.

His history includes graduating from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in Ohio before returning to his hometown. In 2013, he purchased a closed funeral home in Essexville. The funeral home closed after an employee was convicted of prepaid funeral services fraud.

Skorupski had no connection to the funeral home or the person convicted, but he tried to help the families affected by providing funerals at cost to the individuals who fell victim to the fraud.

Photo courtesy of Spencer SkorupskiLocal business owner Spencer Skorupski was one of the original Bay Commitment scholars. Today, Skorupski encourages high school seniors to consider all the scholarship opportunities available through the Bay Area Community FoundationSince 2013, he’s expanded the business. He moved to a new, larger Bay County location at 821 N. Pine Road in Essexville and opened a venue at 1500 Midland Road in Saginaw.

The Bay Commitment Scholarship made it easier to take that first step and attend college. Skorupski encourages students to research their options when it comes to paying for college.

“The students don’t know about the wealth of generosity and scholarships available in our community,” he says.

Wald says she learned about the Bay Commitment Scholarship from her high school counselor. She says the scholarship helped her decide to stay close to home and attend SVSU.

“It was just the extra boost I needed,” she says.

While she’s unsure what career she’d like to pursue, Wald says she is considering becoming a high school math teacher. She enjoys math and had good math teachers at John Glenn.

Whatever profession she chooses, Wald wants to make sure she helps others face tough times. Growing up, Wald watched a close family member struggle with addiction.

“Through my whole life, he really wasn’t there that much,” Wald says. “He was in and out of jail and struggled with substance abuse. He passed away from an overdose. I want to be able to make a difference in people’s lives and let them know that people who struggle with (a family member's) substance abuse, they’re not alone. It’s not something they should be ashamed of.”

The Bay Area Community Foundation opens its scholarship applications in the fall and recipients are notified in the spring.