Kevin Peter de Matas was born in Trinidad in 1935. He was unable to continue his education beyond the age of 16 as he elected to go to work to help his parents support his fourteen siblings. His first job was on a tugboat at an oil refinery. A few years later he...

Kristine Borrayo has been employed by OCC since 2001. Since 2011, she has worked in the college’s Career Placement Services department where she has experienced her most valuable experiences relating to students with autism, autism spectrum disorder, and those who...

In appreciation of the teaching and friendship, Dr. Don & Alice Nichols started this scholarship in honor of Lee S. Peel. (Lee S. Peel 1926 – 2006) Mr. Peel was a retired Farmington High teacher, Mr. Peel was a founder of the City’s Historical Society and served as...

Lila E. (Jenkins) Wasson lived a very full life and made significant contributions throughout her lifetime. Lila was the 6th of 8 children, born to a sharecropper and domestic woman on January 6, 1924. She died on November 30, 2012 at the age of 88. Lila was fully...

Lily Broner taught economics at the OCC Highland Lakes Campus from 1982 to 2002. She earned her Bachelor’s, Master’s in Education, and MBA at Wayne State University.

Lillian Kelmenson obtained a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in health administration. After a career in clinical nursing and nursing administration, Lillian joined OCC in 1968 as the Associate Director of Allied Health within the Applied Sciences...

Lori A. Przymusinski first became interested in the nursing profession while caring for her mother, Barbara Yarema, during a prolonged illness. She entered Oakland Community College as a non-traditional student, and earned her Associate in Applied Science in Nursing...

Lynda Greely was a lifelong learner with a passion for education, specifically reading/literacy. This was evidenced throughout her nearly 50 year career as an educator with the Clarenceville Public Schools. She taught K- 12 and worked primarily with ESL students. ...

This fund is established for students at Oakland Community College to recognize scholastic achievement, encourage their continued progress, and provide financial assistance toward achieving their educational goals. It will be administered according to the following...

Mr. Donald H. (Don) & Mrs. Marjorie (Margie) Arsen are long-serving educators and civic boosters in Waterford Township and southeast Michigan. Don and Margie are graduates of Central Michigan University. Beginning in 1949 through his retirement in 1985, Don was a...

The Mark R. Dolan Memorial Endowed Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Mark R. Dolan and recognize scholastic achievement, encourage continued progress, and provide financial assistance to students.

Mary Catherine Smith felt the call to help her community as a nurse, leading her to attended Oakland Community College, earning an associate’s degree in nursing. As the only full-time nurse at Lake Linden Clinic in the Upper Peninsula, she went above and beyond to...

(Maxine R. Tennant 1930 – 2007) Mrs. Tennant provided for the New Horizons through Education Scholarship through her estate at the time of her passing (January 2007). She wanted to provide opportunities for single mothers who had minor children and wished to return...

This fund is established for students at Oakland Community College to recognize scholastic achievement, encourage their continued progress, and provide financial assistance toward achieving their educational goals. It will be administered according to the following...

The Michigan Women Psychologists (MWP) Organization existed for 25 years and primarily focused on issues pertaining to women. MWP provided mentoring, research experiences, and networking opportunities revolving around social and academic issues that were of concern...

he MHRA scholarship is established with the focus on the selection of Automotive education sources that will promote the continuation and growth of the classic car hobby, centric to the Michigan Hot Rod Association. The Association’s expectations of how the...

In June 2011, Nadia E. Boulos, PhD, RN and Dean of Nursing and Health Professions and Technologies retired from Oakland Community College after 25 years. This scholarship was named to recognize and celebrate her years of leadership, achievement, and service to the...

Nancy worked at OCC for over 26 years as a Financial Aid Specialists, in the Office of Student Financial Resources and Scholarships. She saw first-hand how financial assistance with a college education can change and enhance a person’s future. The financial aid...

The Nasrin Ghaussi Respiratory Therapy Memorial Scholarship is dedicated to the memory of Nasrin Ghaussi, beloved mother, sister, and aunt. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1956, she studied medicine at Kabul University, but her studies were interrupted by war. ...

Nathan Warshaw was a sickly baby, who at the age of two was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that leads to early death. The Pulmonologist told us that Nathan had full CF involvement, and had a 50/50 chance of making it to ten. If he lived into his...

Christian Noordhoorn, an emeritus faculty member after retiring as a charter faculty member from the Highland Lakes Campus. Chris is considered a “renaissance man” by his peers at the college, having taught everything from English Literature and Art Appreciation to...

Freemasons are a unique institution that has been a major part of community life in America for over 250 years. It is America’s largest and oldest fraternity, and one that continues to be an important part of many men’s personal lives and growth. As Freemasons, we...

The Novi Police and Fire Benevolent Association (NPFBA) was created to benefit the men and women of these organizations, and public safety personnel from other communities, during times of need. Through a variety of fundraising events, the Association seeks not only...

The Oakland Community College Association of Retired Personnel (OCCARP) was formed in 1993 to provide opportunities for fellowship, to assist members with retirement issues, to provide opportunities for enrichment through the resources of OCC, to cooperate with other...

The Faculty at Oakland Community College demonstrate their commitment to their students inside and outside of the classroom. They have established scholarships to ensure that OCC students have affordable and accessible education.

The OCC Foundation helps shape OCC today and tomorrow by providing critical funds used to meet the most pressing needs of the College and our students. The Foundation maintains over 100 scholarships and other funds for most every program at OCC.

An all-volunteer Board of Directors governs the OCC Foundation. Directors are recruited from business, civic, and education leaders in Oakland County and the region, and elected to three-year renewable terms.

Galas, otherwise known as Scholarship Dinners were evening events designed to raise funds for scholarships. These Gala’s were promoting scholarships, and in conjunction celebrated a variety of items such as OCC’s 30th Anniversary, Chancellor Recognition, OCC...

A long-standing scholarship, first awarded in 1988. It was established by OCC employees (in particular the Management staff group), to recognize scholastic achievement, encourage continued progress, and provide financial assistance to students. and continues to be...

Jim Coates was an Oakland County Deputy Sheriff for 31 years. He conquered his own alcoholism in 1988 with the assistance of professional substance abuse counselors and remained in recovery for the duration of his life. Jim was a 1992 graduate of the Oakland...