The Three Rivers Promise announced this week that it has raised $415,000 since the program was unveiled in 2021. The goal of the Promise is to provide every Three Rivers High School graduate with the full or partial cost of tuition for an approved Michigan college or university or for approved skilled trades training.  

“All our funding comes from local citizens and businesses,” said Three Rivers Promise Treasurer Bruce L.Ruesink. “Our community has been very generous even in these difficult financial times.  When the Promise meets it first $3 million goal, we will begin awarding partial scholarships.”  

Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry is the founding president of the Three Rivers Promise Board. He and the eightcommunity members of the board have met weekly for two years developing the program.

“After years of watching the Kalamazoo Promise grow and change to meet the needs of the Kalamazoocommunity, we began to wonder if a similar program could work here”, Lowry said. “We do not have the smallgroup of millionaires who founded the Kalamazoo program, but we do have a small community very much interested in and dedicated to helping its youth.  The board and I are very grateful for the great generosity of the people and organizations who supporting the Promise.”

Three Rivers Promise scholarships will not be merit or income based. Students must attend Three Rivers High School for four years, graduate, and be accepted into a post-secondary program. TRP Funds will be paiddirectly to the advanced education program. Graduates who have attended the Three Rivers Community Schools K-12 will receive the full cost of tuition.

To renew the scholarship, a student must be continuously enrolled as a full-time student, maintain a GPA of 2.0 at the post-secondary institution, or the equivalent skilled trades program. A renewal application must be completed each year.

More information is available on the Promise website: www.ThreeRiversPromise.com. 

Look for the Promise Donor Wall of Fame on Watershed Voice in the coming days for the public thank you to all who have given so generously to the Promise.  

Three Rivers Promise Board of Directors

Mayor Tom Lowry, President

Helen McCauslin, Vice President

Rev. Brenda Deily, Secretary

Bruce L. Ruesink, Treasurer

Pete Bennett

Michael Eldridge

Diane Foghino

Diane Weed