Farmington Masons Award Three Scholarships

Three  (FPS) students will go off to college with help from the .

At a dinner last week, the Lodge honored Grace Anna Couture, , and Erin Prim and Blair Sucher, both of . Mason Hal Groat and scholarship program chair Wayne Turton presented the awards. 

Each of the students completed an application and composed an essay that explained their life's goals and what they're doing to reach them. The scholarships were open to all FPS students. 

"When we first set (the scholarship fund) up, we decided it would not be based on whether you have membership (in the lodge)," Turton said. He added the applications are judged by a former teacher and a local business person, in addition to a Lodge member. 

Prim, who will attend Michigan State University and pursue a degree in secondary education, said she is "super grateful" for the scholarship, which she said will make it easier for her parents to cover the cost of her education. 

A future University of Michigan student, Sucher said she appreciated the dinner, which was attended by Lodge members, the honorees and their families. 

"I think it's really cool to be in the room and see the different ages together," she said. 

All three agreed with words shared by Groat, who talked about the importance of attitude. "It's more important than education, money or circumstances ... failure or success," he said. "It's more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace."

"Life isn't always going to be good," said Couture, who has been accepted at University of Michigan and Grand Valley State University and plans to study movement science and physical therapy, "but you have to see the good in it." 

Correction: The name of Mason Wayne Turton was incorrectly spelled in the original version of this article.