YMCA's Coach of the Year & Madison Heights resident receives Baker College leadership scholarship

Sarah Tereau, of Madison Heights, is the recipient of the top 2017 Baker College Leadership Scholarship of $2,500.

The Leadership Scholarship is awarded annually to a student attending Baker College’s Auburn Hills campus who demonstrates academic achievement and either a commitment to community service or a successful balance of work, family and school obligations.

“Sarah is an example of how much each of us has to give if we take the time,” said Peter W. Karsten, Ph.D., CPA, Baker College of Auburn Hills president. “As a wife, mother, nursing student and community volunteer, she is an incredible role model.”

In addition to academically excelling in the Bachelor of Science nursing program – she holds a 3.96 GPA – the married mother of three girls is a volunteer leader in the Girls on the Run Program for the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit.

The program is a youth development program for girls in grades three through eight with the goal to inspire confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Tereau heads up the program she founded at Lessenger Elementary School, Madison Heights, where her children attend. As one of the volunteer certified coaches, she teaches life skills through interactive lessons and running games. She received the Metro Detroit YMCA’s 2016 Coach of the Year award.

Tereau faced hardships in junior high and high school. By helping young girls build confidence and strong friendships, she believes she gives them the tools to avoid the same hardships. She was also able to put those times into perspective for herself.

“I obtained closure to difficult chapters in my own life through teaching these lessons, but most importantly I was no longer just a survivor because I became a leader,” she said. “I am better able to mentor my daughters and the young girls in the YMCA program as well as connecting with them on a deeper level.”

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1911, Baker College grants doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificates in diverse academic fields including applied technology, business, education, engineering, health science, information technology and social science. Baker College has on-ground campuses throughout Michigan and offers online programs that can be completed 100 percent online without ever visiting a campus. In 2016, the Online Learning Consortium recognized Baker College Online with the OLC Quality Scorecard Exemplary Endorsement, the highest ranking for online higher education programs. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.

# # #

Photo caption

Nursing student and the 2017 Baker College of Auburn Hills Leadership Scholarship recipient Sarah Tereau is pictured with Baker College of Auburn Hills President Pete Karsten.