Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation

For good. For ever.

306 South University Avenue Mount Pleasant, MI, 48858 United States

(989) 773-7322

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Isabella County, now and for generations to come, by attracting and holding permanent endowed funds from a wide range of donors, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues.

Matthew S. Sharrar Memorial Scholarship Fund

Matthew Sharrar

Matt’s friends created the scholarship to honor and remember his presence; the scholarship will help further educate a Beal City High School graduating senior.

In Beal City, Matthew Sharrar is considered a hero. Matt was an incredible three-sport athlete, a good friend, brother, and son; someone who made it clear by his actions and words that he loved life and those around him. Matt’s unfailing positive attitude and energy was considered amazing by his community and friends, especially during the last four years of his life as he battled cancer.

Matt was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a sophomore in high school. For the next few months he would undergo chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries. Although treatment left him tired and weak at times, Matt tried to keep his high school life as normal as possible. The only sport season he completely missed was junior varsity football his sophomore year. It however did not stop him from starting at QB his junior year on the Varsity squad. As graduation approached, Matt enrolled at CMU and enjoyed his freshman year of college with some of his closest guy friends that he went to high school with.

Most of Matt’s peers in college did not know he had surgery as a freshman, let alone that it was due to cancer. He strove to be a typical college student and worked as a building maintenance worker (BMW) for CMU the summer after his senior year in high school and later became a crew leader.  Matt’s friends described him as popular; he had many friends in college as well as in high school.  They think Matt would have decided to go into graphic design, or a similar creative major. Throughout all of Matt’s struggles, his family was there for him along with friends. Matt’s family and friends really loved him and felt graced with his presence at each family gathering and holiday at which he was able to be. Matt was that type of guy who always brought “awesomeness”, as his friends call it, to wherever he was. His smile was always so bright and seemed to brighten the darkest days.

Matt Sharrar

Although many of them were in college at the time, members of Matt’s graduating class gathered at Beal City High School the day after he passed away. The group knew they wanted to do something special in Matt’s memory and decided to start the Matthew S. Sharrar Memorial Scholarship Fund. Scholarships will be awarded to Beal City graduating seniors and preference will be given to students, who like Matt, are varsity athletes, demonstrate leadership, friendliness, and a good personality.

“Matt was truly a good person,” said Kyle Schafer, a close friend who helped to start the fund. “I think what I’ll miss most is the group of us hanging out just doing stuff that boys do.”

Scholarship Eligibility Criteria:

  • Applicant will be a graduating senior of Beal City High School.

  • Applicant must demonstrate academic ability with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

  • Applicant must be a Varsity athlete.

  • Applicant shall have financial need, as expressed in the applicant’s written essay.

Preferences:

  • Applicant is pursuing a degree in the fields of medicine or graphic design.

  • Applicant has demonstrated leadership.

  • Applicant has demonstrated a good personality and friendliness.