James T. Brooks Memorial Fine Arts Endowed Scholarship Fund #00448
Provide an annual scholarship award to a graduating high school senior from Midland Public Schools. The successful recipient will be pursuing a career in fine arts (music, visual arts, theatre, dance, etc.) and will have demonstrated outstanding achievements in – and a passion for – the discipline. Financial need will also be among the criteria.
From the fundholder:
Erin and I when we designed the scholarship specifically designed it for kids who were interested in the Arts. While Jim’s forte was theater, he also sang and appreciated the visual arts. In a town full of engineers, we felt like it was appropriate to dedicate the scholarship to a student who is going to pursue the arts and somebody who needed some financial aid because Jim’s folks did not come from an educational background. He put himself through college. He understood how hard it was to get the money to go to college. We’ve both worked in this town long enough to know that there are lots of kids in this town that get scholarships that don’t have financial need and there are kids in this town who will struggle to pay for their college education. And even though this is only $500.00, when I look at the list of donors and people who give thousands I wish that I could give more, but it makes me feel really good and I’m very comforted by this ever since we set this up and Jim passed away. Very comforted with the knowledge that for years down the road some student will be touched by having had Jim. And it makes me feel really good that his legacy at wanting to help kids and support education and support the arts can be accomplished in this lasting manor, even though it’s not as much as I wish it would be, just the idea that he will touch kids for years to come, who will have never have known Jim Brooks, but I like that sense that his passion continues to help kids.