Mountain America Foundation Launches First-Ever ‘Elevate Scholarship Program’ for Youth
The academic initiative will award 120 high school graduates with $2,500 scholarships across the credit union’s six-state footprint
Today, Mountain America Credit Union kicked off its Mountain America Foundation Elevate Scholarship Program to grant $300,000, or 120 scholarships of $2500 each, to high school students attending higher education institutions starting in fall 2023.
The academic initiative illustrates the importance that Mountain America places on increasing the community’s access to higher education to improve individuals’ quality of life.
The Mountain America Foundation, launched in late 2022, aims to strengthen the credit union’s humanitarian-driven commitment to serve the communities within its six-state footprint by covering areas like education, health and overall well-being. The Elevate Scholarship Program is the first of many initiatives rolled out since the foundation was announced.
“For more than 86 years, Mountain America has demonstrated its dedication to helping people define and achieve their financial dreams,” said Sterling Nelson, president and CEO of the credit union. “Our legacy is two-fold because our philosophy is ‘people helping people’ and improving communities where our members live. These scholarships amplify our ability to do that.”
The criteria used to assess candidates includes factors like school records; character and core values; work ethic and experience; community involvement; and contributions and leadership in action. Membership in the credit union is not mandatory to apply. The online application opened on Monday, December 12, 2022, and closes on Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. MST.
As part of the announcement, Suzanne Oliver, vice president of government and community engagement, explained that the new Mountain America Foundation, its accompanying scholarship program and other initiatives aim to fulfill its community-centered mission in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.
“The foundation exemplifies our longstanding reputation of leading on charitable initiatives for underserved individuals and youth wherever we are,” said Oliver. “We will continue doing that as a financial institution by expanding our support of youth and families in key areas including education, health and overall well-being but also with the help of mission-aligned organizations and individuals.”
Mountain America created the foundation with a vision of enlisting others in the community to support charitable causes. The invitation to do good includes employees, credit union members and anyone else who has a desire to extend a helping hand to meaningful purposes.
“Giving back is a core part of our identity,” Nielsen said. “Our foundation’s highest priority is to identify and fund opportunities that solve challenges and will make a real difference in day-to-day lives, and we encourage others to join us.”
To apply for the Elevate Scholarship Program, visit macu.com/graduate. Additional details about the Mountain America Foundation can be found at macu.com/foundation.
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