Nineteen Students Nationwide Received Award From Operator of Manufactured Home Communities

HOLLAND, MICHIGAN (May 18) – Two Michigan students were among the 19 recipients of academic scholarships from Havenpark Communities, an operator and developer of manufactured home communities. The awards are part of Havenpark’s expansion of its Education Success program, which offers financial support, mentoring, and other education initiatives to increase education access and opportunity for residents.

David Sanchez, who will be starting his third semester at Grand Rapids Community College, said the scholarship would supplement the full-time job he balances while dealing with the high costs of books, tuition, and other expenses, while Brenden Sears, who will start at Michigan Technological University, said the funds will go a long way toward his tuition.

“Work has a lot of impact on your happiness,” said Sanchez, who is studying to go into Information Technology. “I definitely want to work with computers. I get passionate talking about it and working toward it. This scholarship will definitely play a role in assisting with the cost of books and tuition.”

Sears, who will be graduating from Lake Orion High School in Orion Township next month, plans to study chemical engineering, which he expects will offer lots of opportunities for his career.

“My first three years are almost paid for now,” said Sears. “It’s incredible and definitely helps alleviate a lot of student debt that a lot of people struggle with.”

Havenpark announced the scholarship recipients last month, where winners were awarded up to $10,000 annually to cover post-secondary expenses for colleges, universities, trade, and vocational schools.  In its second year, the initiative has grown exponentially from its pilot in 2021, which awarded two scholarships to residents in Indiana and Ohio.  Havenpark’s program pledges at least $500,000 annually to support education initiatives.

Scholarship recipients participate in Havenpark’s mentoring program, which provides students – many of whom are first-generation college students—with encouragement, support, and resources to succeed in their journey to certificate or degree attainment.

“We are incredibly proud of the scholarship recipients and their hard work,” said Robbie Pratt, chief executive officer of Havenpark. “David and Brenden have shown an incredible drive to succeed, and we are excited to see their future accomplishments, as well as the accomplishments of all the scholarship recipients.”

Each scholarship recipient will receive up to $10,000 per year and may be renewed for three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned. A little more than two-thirds of recipients plan to attend a four-year college or university, and about one-third plan to attend a two-year or vocational-technical school.

The 2022 competitive scholarship application period ran from December 15, 2021, to January 31, 2022, with about half of the applicants rewarded with scholarships.  To be eligible for consideration, applicants needed to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above, be either a current resident of a Havenpark community or have a parent/guardian who is a resident and must plan to enroll or continue enrollment in full-time or part-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school in the United States for the entire 2022-2023 academic year.  Awards may transfer from a two-year institution to a four-year intuition and vice versa.

About Havenpark

Havenpark Communities is an operator and developer of manufactured home communities and makes caring communities attainable for responsible residents across America.  Earlier this year, Havenpark Communities announced it has committed to adding 1,000 new affordable homes across the country, including in Michigan. Havenpark Communities believes in respectful and professional management, well-maintained communities, and attainable homeownership.  Havenpark Communities makes long-term investments in its communities, providing enduring value for current and future residents.

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