Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation

For good. For ever.

306 South University Avenue Mount Pleasant, MI, 48858 United States

(989) 773-7322

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by attracting and holding permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

 Basil and Theresa Zimmer Scholarship

Basil and Theresa Zimmer were teachers who established their namesake scholarship fund in 2024 to support the next generation of educators. This scholarship is available to graduates of Sacred Heart Academy and Mt. Pleasant High School who aspire to be a teacher, maintain a grade point average of at least 3.25, and demonstrate financial need.

Theresa spent 10 years teaching third through sixth grade students at Sacred Heart, while Basil was an economics professor at Central Michigan University from 1969-2009.

Education has been a passion for the Zimmer family for generations. Basil’s maternal grandmother, Elsie Crockard Jackson, taught in a one-room schoolhouse in the early 1900s; his father was a sociology professor at Brown University; and his sister, Linda, taught elementary school in Massachusetts. Their son, Andrew, continues the legacy, teaching middle school mathematics in Midland.

Basil and Theresa's long-standing commitment to education carries on through this scholarship fund.

Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following criteria to apply for the Basil and Theresa Zimmer Scholarship:

  • Student shall be a graduating senior or previous graduate from Sacred Heart Academy or Mt. Pleasant High School;

  • Student shall plan to become a teacher;

  • Student must demonstrate academic ability with a minimum 3.25 grade point average

  • Student has demonstrated financial need; and

  • Student shall be planning to enroll at an accredited college, university or trade school,

Preferences

In selecting the most qualified applicant to receive the scholarship among those meeting all criteria above, reviewers should give preference to the following, listed in priority order:

  • Student has demonstrated work experience.