Scholarships can have an incredible impact on the lives of those who receive them. Some awards have the potential to open a world of possibilities and turn dreams into reality. Such is the case for Tawas Area graduate, Addison Cota – a talented and driven young artist. As a recipient of the Iosco County Community Foundation’s Michael Wentworth Scholarship, she received a total of $43,000 in the past three years, as well as several other ICCF awards.
For Addison, these scholarships from ICCF allow her to focus on experiences, like being featured in Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize (pictured is Addison (right) and her sister Shaylin at ArtPrize); growing as an artist; and sharing her artistic abilities with the world. With her talents and the support of scholarship funding, she’s on to big things on the art scene!
“Any scholarship can be helpful to students, but awards like these have the ability to shift the trajectory of a student’s education and career plans, allowing them to chase their goals and see a future for themselves they may have left behind otherwise,” says Community Foundation Executive Director, Patrick Heraghty. “This is part of the legacy that is created with every fund, and every life affected by the individuals who created them.”
After graduating from Tawas Area High School in 2022, Addison has spent her first years of post-secondary study at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, honing her artistic skills. She explored downtown Grand Rapids, particularly during ArtPrize, a free, open international art competition and cultural event held there each autumn. She dreamed of entering a piece of her own artwork someday.
In the summer of 2024, she traveled with her sister and fellow artist, Shaylin Cota, to Spain and Rome where they explored museums, monuments, and art galleries together. Addison says the experience created so many wonderful memories that they decided to team up to create a collaborative piece of art. The project combined the sisters’ respective skills to create a one-of-a-kind piece. Addison, a talented drawer and painter, credits Shaylin, a skilled photographer, with encouraging the experience and submitting their artwork to ArtPrize.
“The fact that we would experience this together made it an unforgettable venture,” says Addison. “Our piece, ‘La Vita è Un Viaggio” is a 12x4 foot collage incorporating many mementos from our travels, our hometown of Tawas, and our current home of Grand Rapids,” says Addison. “The name means ‘life is a journey’. It is a testament to our collective journey and experiences.”
For Addison, receiving her scholarships not only helped her family with the financial burden of college expenses and allowed her to focus on her passions; but also offered the feeling that others believe in her and her work - a feeling that excites her about the future’s possibilities. This spring she begins her junior year at Central Michigan University where she will major in Art History with a minor in Museum Studies and Studio Art. She plans to continue creating art, and she and Shaylin hope to be part of ArtPrize again soon.
“Ultimately, with all my experiences and education, I am hoping and planning to work in a museum doing archival and registrar work. I love creating and expanding my knowledge in this field,” says Addison. “Receiving the Michael Wentworth Scholarship lifted not only the financial burden off me, but also my family. I am the third child of six, and the third of four my parents have helped put through college so far. My parents are such generous and selfless people who always lead by example to help others in any way they can. Thus, I am so grateful for the individuals who have helped us to relieve any extra burdens from them.”
The Michael Wentworth Scholarship Fund was established in Michael’s memory by his friends and family. Michael was a lifelong summer resident of Iosco County who had a passion for art that spilled over into his education and career, where he was a curator at the Boston Athenaeum at the time of his passing in 2002. In 2011, the fund received a large, planned gift. This legacy donation increased the fund’s assets to the point that Iosco County individuals majoring in specific areas of visual arts, or wanting to participate in apprenticeships or camps, could have a significant resource to help them achieve their goals.
In addition to the Michael Wentworth Scholarship, Addison was also the recipient of the Carl and Christine Huebner Scholarship, and the Tawas Area Education Foundation’s Elmer and Eliza Werth and Coyle Scholarships.
To learn more about creating a legacy that will benefit our communities and impact the lives of others for years to come, please contact our Community Foundation team. We would love to help you create your legacy and be part of your story.
Individuals interested in applying for scholarships through the Community Foundation may apply from January 1 through March 1 each year, for scholarships that will be used during the following academic year.