Huntington Ford presents full-tuition scholarship to OU-bound Avondale grad

Huntington Ford presents full-tuition scholarship to OU-bound Avondale grad
Huntington Ford 2016
Pictured from left: Kimberly Olszak (Avondale Counselor), Sharon Hyde (Avondale Principal), Lisa Knudson (Avondale Teacher) Anthony Gallina (OU Admissions Representative), Rachel Swink (Scholarship Recipient) Pat and Christie Scoggin (Huntington Ford Scholarship Donors), Bill Swink (Rachel's Father), Beth Dawson (Swink Family Friend), Nancy Swink (Rachel's Mother), and Todd Henderson (Avondale Teacher)

For the fifth straight year, Huntington Ford of Rochester Hills has awarded a full-tuition, renewable scholarship to an Oakland University-bound student from the Greater Rochester area. Dealership owners Pat and Christie Scoggin recently presented this year’s award to Rachel Swink, a 2016 graduate of Avondale High School. 

 

While at Avondale, Swink excelled academically and devoted herself to several extracurricular activities, including varsity soccer and raising awareness of food allergies. Swink’s older brother, Chandler – a past recipient of the Huntington Ford Scholarship –passed away in 2014 from a severe peanut allergy. She honors his memory through her involvement in the Food Allergy Research Education Association and plans to pursue a career in health care.

 

Witnessing health struggles in her family has given Swink a strong sense of purpose, she says.

 

“I realized that I have retained a lot of knowledge and information from all of our experiences, and feel that from what I have learned I have chosen a career path that may make a difference in someone else’s life,” Swink wrote in a letter to the scholarship committee.

 

Kimberly Olszak, a counselor at Avondale, envisions a promising future for Swink.

 

“She is caring and compassionate to all she encounters, as she doesn’t take her days for granted,” Olszak wrote in a letter to the scholarship committee. “Rachel will do great things. She will advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves and listen to those who need to be heard.”

 

Swink is the fifth recipient of the Huntington Ford Scholarship, joining her brother, Chandler, also an Avondale graduate, Alexis Jordan, from Stoney Creek High School, and Laura Dhayni and Jacqueline Yee, both from Rochester High School.

 

Yee, the award’s first recipient, graduated from OU this past April and received the Maltilda R. Wilson Award, which is presented annually to Oakland’s top female graduate. She plans to enroll in law school this fall.

 

“Christie and I are extremely proud of all our scholarship recipients,” said Pat Scoggin. “We shared in the grief of the entire community when Chandler passed away, but we also shared in the joy of seeing Jacqueline graduate from OU with big dreams on her horizon. When we heard that the committee had selected Rachel for this year’s award, we were beyond excited, and we can’t wait to see the bright future that she creates.”

 

The Huntington Ford Scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming freshman from one of four area high schools: Avondale, Adams, Rochester and Stoney Creek. Applicants are evaluated based on financial need, academic performance and extracurricular involvement.

 

The full-tuition scholarship is renewable for a student who continues to demonstrate financial need, completes full-time credits during each fall and winter semester and maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA.

 

For information about other Oakland University scholarships, visit oakland.edu/scholarships