Catalyst Scholarship Program

WMed Catalyst Scholarship Program Logo


An Invitation to Become a Catalyst for Medical Education

Class of 2025 White Coat Ceremony
Students in the MD Class of 2025 received their first white coats at the White Coat Ceremony on September 11, 2021.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has made it profoundly clear that the education of the next generation of medical doctors will be at the core of ending the current COVID-19 pandemic and preventing future such pandemics from occurring. Southwest Michigan businesses, community friends, and regional foundations are invited to become a catalyst for medical education by supporting the WMed Catalyst Scholarship Program.

Donors to the WMed Catalyst Scholarship Program can support one or more medical students, by making an annual gift of $1,000 or more to fund an immediate impact scholarship for an MD student at the medical school. Donors at this level will have their leadership support awarded by the Office of Financial Aid at the medical school to a specific student scholar(s).

This innovative scholarship program provides donors with a way to be a catalyst in immediately supporting medical education and the personal experience of supporting a specific student scholar. Not only will donors have the personal experience of supporting a specific student or group of students, they will also be helping to make the cost of a medical degree more affordable. Every dollar donated to the WMed Catalyst Scholarship Program will be a dollar less in student loan debt that a WMed MD student will have to take on. Donors will be able to see the personal impact of their philanthropy, the Southwest Michigan community is helped by the education of future generations of new medical doctors, and WMed MD students are helped by reducing the cost of their medical education.  A true “win-win” for the community of Kalamazoo and the Southwest Michigan region.

How the Program Works

Any business, foundation, or community friend can make a donation of $1,000 or more to support one or more medical student scholars studying at WMed. The larger the donation, the more student scholarships that can be awarded. Scholarship supporters can have one or more students named as their WMed Catalyst scholars. Funds raised through the Catalyst Scholarship Program are awarded to medical students with financial need immediately by our Student Scholarships Committee.

  • Reasons to Support the WMed Catalyst Scholarship Program
    • This program is a tangible way to support medical education and future medical researchers who will play a pivotal role in helping reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and helping to prevent future pandemics.
    • Donations to this program will play a high impact role in supporting the education of medical doctors from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine as well as all students at the medical school with financial need.
    • Donations to this program will make it possible for WMed students and residents to continue to strengthen the healthcare systems in Southwest Michigan. Your support for medical education will allow Kalamazoo to continue to educate and attract doctors from a wide range of medical specialties which will ensure the quality of  health care in Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan is among the finest of any city in America.
  • Benefits of Becoming a WMed Catalyst Scholarship Sponsor
    • Catalyst sponsors will be recognized in the medical school annual philanthropy impact report, at the donor appreciation luncheon, and on the medical school website.
    • Catalyst sponsors will receive a thank you note from their Catalyst scholars that can be shared in their organizational facilities.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Every dollar donated to the Catalyst Scholarship Program will go directly to student scholarship support.

  • Immediate Impact Scholarships

    Immediate Impact Scholarships can be made at any of the following levels to have the WMed Office of Financial Aid Designate a specific student scholar or group of scholars for your organization.

    • $1,000
    • $2,500
    • $5,000
    • $10,000
    • $15,000
    • $25,000
    • $50,000
    • $100,000 or more
  • Dual Impact Scholarships

    Opportunities for Dual Impact Scholarships that combine an Immediate Impact Scholarship award with the establishment of a permanent named scholarship endowment scholarship to provide scholarship in perpetuity are also available.

    Catalyst Scholarships will be awarded to any MD student from WMed with financial need. Catalyst sponsors may support any student with financial need or may also request to support students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine.

  • Event Sponsorships

    Event Sponsorships: WMed also offers opportunities for individuals and organizations additional visibility by sponsoring the annual Donor Appreciation Luncheon event. To learn more about these event sponsorships please contact us.

Become a Catalyst of Medical Education Today!

To start a conversation or to learn more about the Catalyst Scholarship Program, please contact giving@wmed.edu or make a gift online through the secure button below.

To make a donation by mail, please write your check payable to WMU Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine and indicate Catalyst Scholarship Program on the memo line. Mail to: Gift Processing 1903 West Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403.

Thank You to Our Catalyst Scholarship Program Donors

  • Our Catalyst Scholarship Program Donors

    We thank our generous sponsors for the immediate impact they have made on our medical students through their financial support.

    • Anonymous
    • Battle Creek Community Foundation
    • Ms. Priscilla Blair
    • Ms. Bette Boulding
    • Bronson Healthcare
    • C2Dx, Inc.
    • Consumers Credit Union
    • DeMent & Marquardt, PLC
    • Diekema Hamann Architects, Inc.
    • Dr. Vaughn Folkert and Ms. Valerie Barnett
    • First National Bank of Michigan
    • Dr. Tim Fischell
    • Dr. Linda and Dr. Timothy Garrow
    • Dr. Kristine and Dr. Scott Gibson
    • Dr. Paul Ginter and Dr. Karen Horneffer-Ginter
    • Ms. Sarah and Mr. Timothy Harding
    • HUMANex
    • Mrs. Barbara and Mr. Jerry James
    • Jaqua Realtors
    • Mrs. Shirley and Mr. Si Johnson
    • JP Morgan Chase (Chase Commercial Banking)
    • Kalamazoo Anesthesiology, PC
    • Kalamazoo Public Schools
    • Kzoom
    • Ms. Elizabeth Lorbeer and Mr. Michael Donohoe
    • Dr. Grace Lubwama
    • Mr. Steve and Mrs. Amy McKiddy
    • Mercantile Bank
    • Molitor Family Foundation
    • Nulty Agency, Inc.
    • Dr. David Overton
    • PNC Bank
    • Mrs. Bonnie and Dr. David Riddle
    • Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Gary Ruoff
    • R.W. LaPine Inc.
    • Ms. Michele Serbenski
    • Southern Michigan Bank & Trust
    • Mr. Ralph and Mrs. Ruth Stoddard
    • Stryker
    • The CSM Group
    • Tyler Little Family Foundation
    • Walbridge
    • West Michigan Cancer Center
    • WSI - Workforce Strategies, Inc.

    Updated: October 28, 2022

General Student Scholarship Support

Donors who wish to make a donation that is less than $1,000 may contribute to the general student scholarship fund by clicking the button below. The financial aid committee will aggregate these donations to make immediate impact scholarship awards in increments of $1,000. Since the gifts of many donors will be combined to make these awards, donors cannot be matched to a specific student scholar.