Michigan awards five scholarships each year at the Regional Convention in the amount of $250 per scholarship. The first four scholarships are supported through the Michigan Region’s approved budget and the fifth is supported by an anonymous donor from the Alpha Xi Delta chapter.
One scholarship was originally created to honor Thomas Obee, member and advisor emeritus of Lambda Mu, former Regional Coordinator, charter member of the Blue Water Alumni Association, and charter member of the Michigan Region Alumni Association; three others were created in memory of Susan Friedrich, first advisor of Alpha Xi Delta; Arleene Quigley, member of Alpha Omicron Xi and Michigan Region Alumni Association, and Dr. Richard Trombley, advisor of Alpha Omicron Xi.
There will always be those special individuals who will forever be etched in the minds of the Michigan Region of Phi Theta Kappa. The fifth scholarship, the Michigan Region Memorial Scholarship was created to represent and honor all of the individuals who dedicated their lives to the hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa; Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship.
It is with honor, appreciation, gratitude and acknowledgement that we choose to recognize those leaders who served from their heart. We honor Tom and those in memoriam posthumously and now etch their names in our Michigan Region history forever. To help you understand more about these individuals please read a little more about who they are and how they served our Region in the following paragraphs:
To be eligible for the Michigan Region Scholarships the recipient must:
- Have a minmum 3.5 GPA verified by your chapter advisor.
- Not previously declared alumni status.
- Complete the Michigan Region Scholarship application form which includes a 250-300 word essay (Located at bottom of page). Please share in first-person, two examples explaining “How Phi Theta Kappa has helped develop you as an individual, and as a leader in your chapter, and/or your communiy?”
- Save completed form with the file name “Michigan Region Scholarship [Last Name, First Name].doc(x)” to your selected destination folder and then attach the file to an email as a Word attachment. Send to: Angela Heiden, MRAA Advisor at aheiden@sc4.edu with the subject line “Michigan Region Scholarship [Last Name, First Name]”
- Include one letter of recommendation as a separate attachment with your email from an advisor or faculty member who can attest to your leadership within Phi Theta Kappa.
Applications must be received no later than March 20, 2020.
Entries are judged by the Michigan Region Alumni Association.
Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted. The scholarship recipients will be announced at the next Michigan Regional Convention.
Save completed form with the file name “Michigan Region Sholarship [Last Name, First Name].doc(x)” to your selected destination folder and then attach the file to an email as a Word attachment. Send to: Martha Petry, MRAA Advisor at petrymarthaj@jccmi.edu with the subject line “Michigan Region Scholarship [Last Name, First Name]” Entries are judged by the Michigan Region Alumni Association.
Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted. The scholarship recipients will be announced at the next Michigan Regional Convention.
Scholarship Application
Susan Friedrich
Ms. Susan Friedrich was the first advisor of Alpha Xi Delta Chapter of Bay de Noc Community College. She served that chapter and the Michigan Region with great distinction. Unfortunately, due to serious health problems, she found it necessary to resign from the college and passed away in the fall of 2004. A psychology professor, she first came to work at Bay in 1985 and quickly became the advisor to the chapter as well as to the Student Government/ Activities Board. Her life was dedicated to the success of students and she was always there for them when she was needed. She was much loved by everyone who knew her and is deeply missed by all of us in the Michigan Region.
Arleene Quigley
Arleene was inducted into the Alpha Omicron Xi chapter in May of 1994. For the next ten years, as both a member and as an alumna, she focused her energies and efforts on keeping the spirit of Phi Theta Kappa alive. Her leadership roles ranged from Chapter Treasurer, Chapter President, Chapter Alumni Representative, to serving on the board of the Michigan Region Alumni Association. She encouraged her fellow scholars to continue their pursuit of scholastic excellence, enthusiastically inspired and led those she worked with, continuously reached out into her community with her love for service, encouraged camaraderie and participation from within the Phi Theta Kappa network and eagerly lent a helping hand to the society’s members.
Arleene inspired others to become involved and led groups in planning various service projects, reminding us of how rewarding it is to provide service to others. She pursued and successfully set up close ties with the college administrators, serving as student advisor to the Chancellor and Student Representative to the Board of Trustees. As an alumna, she continued to assist her former chapter by helping train and transition new officers, assisting with orientations, induction ceremonies and other chapter events. As a board member of the Michigan Region Alumni Association, she not only assisted with regional programs, but also worked to help raise money and develop scholarships for members.
Arleene truly strived to serve and support the people, programs and priorities of Phi Theta Kappa. That she balanced the rigors of scholastic achievement with the rigors of raising a large family, employment, community service and continued involvement in Phi Theta Kappa is remarkable. The scholarly spirit and dedication that Arleene Quigley exerted are a large component of the fuel that leads to our Society’s continued success. She wholeheartedly (in her own humble way) represented the true spirit of Phi Theta Kappa.
Tom Obee
In 1962 Mr. Tom Obee was inducted into the Lambda Mu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the year after the chapter was chartered and served as a chapter officer. Upon completion of his studies at the University of Michigan, Tom was hired by St. Clair County Community College to teach philosophy. He became co-advisor of Lambda Mu in 1976 and then later became the chapter advisor. In 1997, he was selected to serve as the Michigan Regional Coordinator and served until his retirement in 2009. Mr. Tom Obee has served Phi Theta Kappa well and has been a continuous source of advice, knowledge and support to the Michigan Region. Without the combined efforts and support of advisors, members and most especially Mr. Tom Obee, the Michigan Region would not be what it is today. His continued service to the region even after retirement has not gone unrecognized and we are all truly blessed by the man who embodies Phi Theta Kappa as the ultimate servant leader.
Dr. Richard Trombley
Dr. Richard “Dick” Trombley, beloved advisor of Alpha Omicron Xi Chapter of Oakland Community College Orchard Ridge and longtime teacher of psychology and English at Orchard Ridge, passed away in July of 2006. Dick was not only one of our finest advisors but also one of the most active in the Region, having been the advisor of AOΞ from his appointment in September of 1997 to his death. For much of the time he was an advisor, he was also a member of the Regional Advisory Board which advises the Regional Coordinator. Dick was also a longterm member and chair of the Leadership Committee established by the Region to encourage Leadership activities and to modify the Regional Leadership/Mock Chapter Conference. In 2001 he was recognized by Headquarters with a Paragon Award for Advisors, and in 2005 with a Distinguished Advisor Award. This very modest man could have won the DA Award many more times, but he chose to make sure his coadvisor was also recognized with these awards and he preferred that his chapter spend time working on the other Hallmark Awards rather than trying to get him further recognition. Dick was a friend to everyone in the Region, sharing his wealth of experience and wisdom, and always extending his good will to all of us. He loved his wife and two sons, his students, his college, and Phi Theta Kappa. We not only remember him as a great teacher, advisor, and friend, but as a stellar Native American Dancer, an avocation he practiced with great skill and gusto. He was perennially a winner of the Michigan Region Coordinator Award as well as Horizon Award due to his constant dedication to the Michigan Region.
The five $250 scholarships are in honor or memory of true scholars whose actions best demonstrated the ideals of Phi Theta Kappa. The recipient shall be a member of the Michigan Reion in good standing who best exemplifies the hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa.