Students in the Eastern Upper Peninsula who are interested in working in the marine industry now have access to a new sponsorship opportunity to attend Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBSS) in Cedarville, Michigan.

The newly established Marlene E. Kennedy Scholarship is available to students from Mackinac, Chippewa, and Luce counties. The scholarship supports Eastern U.P. students who are seeking training through GLBBS to earn careers in the marine industry, such as marine technicians or carpenters.

Marlene was a firm believer in education. In her retirement, she returned to school at Lake Superior State University, where she graduated with a B.S. in Psychology in 2007, summa cum laude. Marlene was an active member of the Pickford Lions Club and the American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary in Pickford.

Many leading marine companies have struggled to find and retain employees, which has led to a surge of new employment opportunities due to the growth in the industry and older workers retiring from the workforce. GLBBS has experienced a nearly 100% placement rate after graduation for the past 7 years, a testament to the need for workers in this field.

“In the state of Michigan alone, there are over 45,000 jobs supported by the marine industry – the opportunities are astounding,” says Nikki Storey, President at GLBBS. “Our goal at GLBBS is to ensure training is affordable for anyone seeking a career.

I grew up locally and I have a heart much like the Kennedy’s to see local students succeed. Scholarship support for our local students is instrumental to ensuring this goal is achieved. I couldn’t be more pleased to have a student success partner in the Kennedy family.”

The scholarship was established by Stanley O. Kennedy Sr. and his family, who are longtime residents of Chippewa County. Both Stanley and his late wife, Marlene, strongly support the development of future generations through educational activities.

Through this scholarship, The Kennedy family wants to help local students achieve their goals of building meaningful careers.

“We are excited to provide this opportunity to residents in our community,” says Stanley O. Kennedy Jr. “Having the opportunity to receive top-notch training so close to home is an incredible opportunity for our EUP students, many of whom have grown up on the water. We’re glad to support the education of our local students, it is important to us to give back to our community.”

Students seeking to attend GLBBS have until June 9, 2024 to apply for the scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year. To qualify, students must have a minimum high school or college GPA of 2.25 or higher, enroll full time as a student to GLBBS, and complete the full scholarship application. If selected, the scholarship will provide $1,000 towards the cost of tuition, and may be used toward either the Marine Service Technology and Comprehensive Career Boat Building program.

To learn more about the Marlene E. Kennedy Scholarship, or Great Lakes Boat Building School, visit www.glbbs.edu. http://www.glbbs.edu