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Scholarships
Friends Award Scholarships to FHC Seniors Carly Sutherland and Jaden Lajoie
Two graduating seniors at Forest Hills Central High School, Kaden Lajoie and Carlene Sutherlund, were recently awarded scholarships as part of the Friends of the Cascade Library Memorial Scholarship Program.
The scholarship program recognizes students, primarily, for their volunteer work in the community, as well as their academic achievements and involvement in other extracurricular activities, according to Debbie Straub, scholarship chairperson.
“These two students epitomize much of what is best and hopeful in this generation of students,” Straub said. “They seem to understand that a productive life involves more than just self-centered interests. They are willing to share their talents, ideas and enthusiasm to the benefit of their community and those most in need of assistance. This scholarship is just one small way of acknowledging and rewarding them.”
KADEN LAJOIE
Kaden says he plans to major in orthotics and prosthetics at Eastern Michigan University in the fall. One of his teacher’s describes Kaden as an inclusive, highly involved individual whose “innate kindness and integrity” have a positive influence on all around him.
He is seen as a natural leader who extends himself beyond academic success to serve as an active member of student council, the National Honor Society, and the Science Olympiad. While all volunteer activities are valued and appreciated in a community, many of Kaden’s strike close to home, as he has been an active volunteer at the Cascade branch of the KDL system for the last year.
“Kaden has been a volunteer at the Cascade branch since June 2024, first as a teen crew member and then as a branch teen volunteer,” explained Deb Schultz, KDL Volunteer Coordinator. “With more than 100 volunteer hours, he is on track to earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is distributed yearly by the White House and endorsed by the President of the United States.”
In his essay applying for the scholarship, Kaden said he has always loved stories. “In my hours spent at the library, I’ve found that the most meaningful stories aren’t found on the shelves but in the stories of the people in the building,” he said. He described the public library as “one of the last genuinely public spaces...a bridge between work or school or home where people can go to find community...a window into the lives of people from all corners of our community.”
CARLENE (CARLY) SUTHERLAND
While Carlene has likely made her final decision by now, at the time of her application she was planning on attending either the University of Michigan or Purdue University to major in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus on sustainable and renewable energy.
One of Carly’s teachers describes her as genuine, with an honest love for learning and an amazing work ethic that extends into many roles, including the band’s Color Guard, co-president of the Politics and Current Events Club, founder of her own jewelry business, JV Girls’ lacrosse, Science Olympiad, a trainer at Culver’s and, most importantly to her, Junior Ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
In the latter role, Carly has consistently taken an active role in raising awareness about Type 1 diabetes to encourage involvement by others, according to Jillian Crane, development director for Breakthrough T1D Michigan & Northern Ohio.
“Carly has participated in multiple ‘Promise to Remember Me’ campaigns, meeting with local Congress members to advocate for increased funding for T1D research,” she explained. “Her advocacy efforts have helped ensure that T1D remains a priority in local and national legislatures.”
In her application essay, Carly said that it’s the small acts in how we treat others that create a positive impact in the lives we touch. “As a Type 1 Diabetes Youth Ambassador, I have given speeches at galas, met with congressional representatives, and cut the ribbon at fundraising walks. These moments are glamorous, and they mean the world to me, but it is the small acts behind the scenes that bring this world of mine to life.
“It is the letters I write to newly diagnosed diabetics in the aforementioned youth ambassador role. It is coaching learn-to-skate and doing snow angels with the kid who's sad about falling until they're back to giggling. It is chasing them around playfully until they can skate on their own. Seeing the pride on their face when they realize how far they've come. The small acts are the ones that make a difference."
