DETROIT- In 2016, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera and his wife, Rosangel, partnered with the Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities, to establish the Miguel Cabrera Family Scholarship Fund. The scholarship, intended for first-generation college students from Michigan or Florida, is a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, initially valued at approximately $250,000. On Tuesday, August 22, Cabrera will participate in an on-field, pre-game ceremony to honor the inaugural scholarship recipients of the Miguel Cabrera Family Scholarship.
About the scholarship recipients:
Deepa Day - first generation college student from the Detroit International Academy. From a Bangladeshi family, Deepa's parents do not speak English. Despite financial and family hardships, and despite being bullied because she could not speak English when first coming to the United States, Deepa maintained a 4.0 grade point average in high school and was named to the Honor Roll and Principal's List while also maintaining perfect attendance, working at Greening of Detroit and being active in 4-H Club and Junior ROTC. Deepa plans to attend Wayne State University and study psychology with the goal of becoming a psychiatrist.
Donnell Williams - first generation college student from Riverview Community High School. Raised in a single-parent household, Donnell overcame financial hardship and home life instability to maintain a 4.1 grade point average in high school while playing varsity football for three years and varsity basketball for four years. As a student-athlete, Donnell was named Academic All-District, All-Region and All-State in 2016, was captain of the both the football and basketball team and was a member of the National Honor Roll despite tearing two ligaments in his left knee that required surgery and left him in a wheelchair for a month. Donnell plans to attend the University of Michigan and he will study biology with the goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.
About the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is a full-service philanthropic organization leading the way to positive change in our region. As a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations, the Foundation supports a wide variety of activities benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development, and civic affairs. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed nearly $941 million through more than 61,000 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston counties. For more information, please visit www.cfsem.org.