U.P. to A2

By Anissa Gabbara | Photos by LSA U.P. Scholars, Kian McDonough, Molly Helminen

People come from far and wide to pursue a University of Michigan education: to learn from the best, to grow as leaders, and to make meaningful connections along the way. The coveted opportunity to chant “Go Blue!” at the Big House, at least once, is a bonus.

Meanwhile, nearly 600 miles away in the mitten’s Upper Peninsula, future scholars who often feel worlds away from Ann Arbor seek this very experience. 

Through the U.P. Scholars Program, students can make their academic and professional dreams a reality, thanks to scholarship support over the course of their undergraduate study. And recently, the program’s founding donors made an $8 million gift to ensure that future generations of U.P. students continue to have access to all a U‑M education can offer them. 

A collaboration among the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA); the Stephen M. Ross School of Business; and the Office of Financial Aid, the program fosters the success of U.P. students by offering individualized support designed to help them flourish. Students also have an abundance of resources at their disposal—from exclusive leadership development opportunities to social events where they can connect with fellow U.P. scholars. 

‘Figuring it out together’

It’s fall 2020 and amid a pandemic, 11 U.P. students arrive in Ann Arbor to begin their college journey. 

As the first cohort of the U.P. Scholars Program, these ambitious students learned to navigate life downstate. Bonded by U.P. pride, they took comfort in each other, bringing that close-knit energy from back home to campus as they adapted to the newness of it all.

“We were all figuring it out together,” said Kian McDonough (BS ’24), who hails from Skandia. “The program is a great space for people with a shared background, where you don't have to explain the context of your life. You just show up and connect with people who get where you’ve been and how that affects who you are.”

McDonough works with the Bureau of Land Management and the University of Montana, spending most of his days in the field collecting vegetation and soil data from grassland ecosystems. After completing a couple more seasons of field work, he plans to attend graduate school to further explore ecosystem ecology.

For Molly Helminen (BS ’24), transitioning from the small town of Laurium to a bustling city was an adjustment made easier by the U.P. Scholars Program. 

“Having built-in people that I already knew on campus from the program and having frequent get-togethers was a nice way for me to meet people, and it made the transition seem a little less daunting,” she said. 

Helminen held an internship with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., over the summer. Now, she’s back in Ann Arbor, pursuing a master’s degree in social work and starting her practicum with Michigan Medicine Psychiatric Emergency Services. 

‘Access and awareness’

The U.P. Scholars Program has grown substantially since its inception four years ago. This fall, it welcomed 61 undergraduates from 13 U.P. counties and 24 high schools to various U‑M schools and colleges, including LSA, the College of Engineering, the School of Nursing, the School of Kinesiology, the Marsal Family School of Education, the Ross School, and the School of Information. 

A Michigan education is made more accessible with donor support.

“Without funding from the U.P. Scholars Program, I can confidently say I wouldn’t have been able to attend U‑M,” McDonough said. “The U.P. is an amazing spot, but it can be a bit physically isolating and you might not even consider the possibility of attending a world-renowned university. So having this program is great for access and awareness.”

Helminen added: “Donor support allowed me to have enough funds to stay in the residence halls throughout my undergraduate years, which is how I ended up joining a lot of programs and making friends; and it also set me up to be in a financially sound place where I can feel comfortable going to grad school now.” 

Leaving their mark

Making the most of their Michigan experience, McDonough, Helminen, and the rest of the 2024 cohort are standout examples of the university’s remarkable student body. 

From their involvement in the early development of the program and mentoring incoming U.P. students to sharing their unique talents and insights with the campus community, this first cohort has left its mark on U‑M and laid the foundation for future small-town undergraduates to do the same.