Earlier this year, Genisys Credit Union and the Oxford Chamber of Commerce offered their Oxford High School (OHS) Community Pride Scholarship to the OHS Class of 2024. On May 13, at the OHS Senior Awards Ceremony, four graduates were each awarded the $1,000 scholarship; Heidi Allen, Lorelei Spurgeon, Ellie Gieselman, and Sean Wilson. 

As part of the scholarship, applicants needed to reflect and answer the question: What does the Oxford community mean to you? The selected recipients displayed a great level of dedication to their community, personal passions, and academics. 

Heidi Allen will continue her educational journey at Liberty University in Virginia. With the intention to study musical theater, she has been actively involved in the arts throughout her high school career with musicals and plays, plus taking voice, guitar, and piano lessons to develop her skills. Heidi reflects on the Oxford community and describes it as such: “Oxford is a community that supports each other…this town has always felt like home. There hasn’t been a time when I have walked into a downtown store without knowing at least one person. Together as a community, we have celebrated, laughed, and cried together. The Oxford family had never been there for each other more than on November 30th…In the months following, the Oxford community didn’t fail to step up and meet the needs of the students and families impacted by this horrific event. The small town described as an hour north from Detroit will always be in my heart. Ultimately, Oxford is my family and my home.”

Future “Chip” Lorelei Spurgeon will attend Central Michigan University in the fall to study communications disorders and sciences with a minor in American Sign Language. Even though she was not born or raised in Oxford, Lorelei has come to embrace Oxford as her “true home.” In her words, “The short time I have spent maturing into adulthood in this town has been some of the most cherished moments of my life. Being a part of the Oxford Community has been the best twist of fate I’ve had happen to me, and this township has made me feel more accepted and loved than any other place I’ve lived.”

Ellie Gieselman will be leaving Michigan for its Midwest counterpart, Indiana. She will be pursuing a biology or mechanical engineering degree at the University of Notre Dame. As noted by Gretchen Gabler, Varsity Girls Golf Coach at OHS, “The rigorous academic path Ellie pursued throughout high school, including her numerous AP and IB courses, have set her on a path for success at university and beyond.” Outside of her academic achievements, Ellie has found organizations that fulfill her and improve the lives of the Oxford community, such as Mind Matters, a student-led organization that seeks to increase mental health awareness in communities affected by gun violence, and a peer-to-peer mentor program called 42 Strong. 

Venturing to the East Coast, Sean Wilson will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study physics. He credits his approach to life, whether it is academics, community involvement, personality and character to the engagement of his teachers in the IB (international baccalaureate) Primary Years Program.This program taught Sean the importance of lifelong learning to drive accomplishments and foster positive relationships within the Oxford community and communities beyond. In his words, “The Oxford community has taught me that if I use kindness, honesty, and understanding, I will receive nothing but support in my endeavors…It is a greater accomplishment than any other to consistently be a good person. With Oxford being the only place I’ve ever known to live - the foundation of my life and character - I will go to school in Boston using every strategy I’ve learned here to continue that accomplishment. The Oxford community gave me this understanding and the means of achieving it, and for this, Oxford is everything to me.”

“We are pleased to award the 2024 Community Pride Scholarship to Heidi, Lorelei, Ellie, and Sean who have exhibited a dedication and passion to their community, academics, and passions,” said Jackie Buchanan, President and CEO of Genisys Credit Union. “We believe that they will drive forward impactful contributions to their new university communities and wish them all the best along their continued education journey.”