Lance Little, International Baccalaureate Coordinator
Owosso Public Schools
As a 1988 graduate of Corunna High, Lance went on to U of M in Ann Arbor, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education (with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry). After graduation in 1992, he went on to MSU where he received his Maste
r’s in Educational Technology in 1996.
He taught 20 years of middle school science and one year of high school chemistry, physics, and environmental science in the Owosso Public Schools. Lance was selected as the 2024-2025 OPS Teacher of the Year and also authored the book Echoes of the School Bell: The Story of Owosso Public Schools. Serving in a multitude of roles, including Treasurer and President for the Owosso Education Association, and 20+ years on the Michigan Education Association Board of Directors, Lance currently is the International Baccalaureate Coordinator until his retirement at the end of June of 2025.
“I worked with Lance at Owosso Middle School from the moment I began teaching there in 2002”, said CFF board member Susie Phillips. “Lance taught 7th-grade science, and I taught 7th-grade English. Lance was not only an excellent and devoted teacher, but he was also curious and well-informed about the world around him. Because of that, we had many interesting conversations throughout the years. My years working with Lance were very valuable; I consider him to be both a colleague and a dear friend. His retirement is a big loss to Owosso Public Schools.”
Lance looks back to the assistance that the Cook Family Foundation gave him, beyond his scholarship. “I had rarely visited a campus before attending school. Bruce (Cook) took me to U of M and that changed my mind about where to attend.” Lance’s association with the Foundation continued over the years as a member of the Shiawassee Scholars Advisory Board and Test Coordinator.
His advice to future students who plan to attend the University of Michigan?
“Take advantage of all the opportunities you will have. Learn not only from the classwork, but also from the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and culture of classmates. When you seek to understand others, you will come to know yourself.”
Lance lives in Owosso with his wife Jackie (also a teacher – 1st grade at Central Elementary) and son, Everett, who will be a freshman at Owosso High School next fall.
Drew H. Barnes, MD, Palliative Medicine Physician
ChristianaCare Health System, Newark, Delaware
2010 CFF Scholarship Recipient
As a 2010 graduate of Owosso High, Drew went on to U of M in Ann Arbor, where he majored in Biology and Spanish. After graduating in 2014, he went on to Oakland University’s William Beaumont School of Medicine to receive his MD and then continued to Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia to complete a residency in Internal Medicine in 2022.
Heading to Ohio State (yes, he’s also a Buckeye), he completed a fellowship in Palliative Medicine in 2023 before moving to Philadelphia, where he now works as a Palliative Medicine physician at ChristinaCare Health System in nor
thern Delaware.
Drew’s affiliation with The Cook Family Foundation “solidified my belief in the importance of being of service to one’s community and helping others along the way. This significantly shaped my educational and professional life and guides the way I approach my career today.” That spirit of giving back is evident – as he is now heavily involved in ChristianaCare’s education committee that includes teaching medical students and residents and training our Palliative Medicine fellow physicians.
His advice to future students who plan to attend the University of Michigan?
“Be open to and embrace the diversity of cultural, social, political, and philosophical differences you will encounter at U of M. There is a place for everyone there and a rich amount of life experiences to be gained during your time there.”
Kendra (Frye) Creighton, Valerie Micol, and Mitchell Lawrence – August 9, 2024
The college application and scholarship season has opened for rising high school seniors. In the Shiawassee region, the most prestigious recognition will go to the winner of the Bruce and Jacqueline Scholarship to the University of Michigan. Established in 2006 by the most recent benefactors to the Cook Family Foundation, the four-year, full-tuition scholarship has launched several talented students on to impressive careers.
The first recipient of the Bruce and Jacqueline Scholarship, Kendra (Frye) Creighton, is now a veterinary surgeon practicing in Shiawassee County. She graduated from Owosso High School in 2006, got an undergraduate degree in Ann Arbor and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University.
Valerie Micol, a 2010 graduate of Byron High School, recently received an appointment as a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan / Michigan Medicine. With the support of the Bruce and Jacqueline Scholarship, she got her undergraduate and masters degree in Ann Arbor as well as her PhD in Clinical Psychology, all while raising a daughter.
Mitchell Lawrence, the 2016 winner and also a Byron graduate, was just accepted into a dual degree masters program in Architecture and Urban Planning at the College of Environmental Design at the University of California, Berkeley. Mitchell, after receiving a BS degree in Architecture from UM, worked as housing designer in San Francisco. While an undergraduate at UM, Mitchell got a minor in Asian Languages and did an internship in Japan; he was also a residential advisor.
Other Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholars have earned medical degrees, become software developers, published research on genetics, served in the Peace Corps, and used their engineering degree to do product development for Fortune 500 companies.
The Cook Family Foundation is in the process of nominating high school seniors for this year’s Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship. If you know one of the leaders and best from the greater Shiawassee region, please recommend them to us; contact Tom Cook or Yvette Collard. Any high school senior from 10 area high school with a 3.5 GPA or higher is eligible for a scholarship from the Cook Family Foundation to any of the three campuses of the University of Michigan. Learn more about the Shiawassee Advantage on our Scholarship Page.