On Aug. 8, the student-run Spectrum Consulting Group hosted a virtual event to award their inaugural scholarship recipients: Jenna Tryan, Grace Lipford, Manasvi Jain and Sydney Herring.

The scholarship, launched last spring, is dedicated to supporting promising incoming first-year students who want to pursue a business-related degree at MSU. The revenue generated from SCG’s client engagements during the fall 2020 semester allowed them to offer $5,000 scholarships to go toward each recipient’s education.

“Being awarded this scholarship provides me the assurance and financial ability to live out my dreams as a Spartan and pursue a career within the business world,” Herring, a first-year supply chain management student, said. “I believe this scholarship is not just for my achievements but for the passion and drive I have to pursue my goals and aspirations.”

During the event, the recipients had the opportunity to network with the members of SCG and learn more about the consulting firm. SCG’s members strive to serve as a resource for their scholarship recipients by providing an outlet to learn about life as a Broad Spartan from current Broad Spartans. The group shared their personal insights to help acclimate the new Spartans to campus as they navigate the next steps of their academic career.

“Philanthropy plays a key role in our work here at Spectrum. As the firm continues to grow, we consistently look for ways to create a bigger impact on youth education,” Julia Lower, president of SCG and a supply chain management senior, said. “We hope to empower our scholarship recipients with the financial aid and culmination of resources SCG has to offer.”

Tryan, a first-year marketing student, explained how she enjoyed getting to talk to SCG’s members in a small-group setting as well as one-on-one to seek thoughtful advice.

“I asked about their experience with clubs and internships, both of which I have had so many questions about,” Tryan said. “Also, following the event I had the chance to talk one-on-one with SCG president Julia Lower, which showed how much she cares about us freshmen even outside of the scholarship and SCG.”

As an international student with plans to study finance, Jain dreamed of receiving her higher education in the United States, and she expressed her gratitude toward SCG for supporting her in her new journey.

“I applied to this scholarship hoping it would help me afford this amazing school, but this scholarship did more than just provide financial assistance. It gave me the confidence and reassurance that I was going in the right direction by leaving the only home I’ve ever known,” Jain shared.

The SCG scholarship provides not only support for these new students but also an opportunity to jump-start their connection and involvement as Broad Spartans.

“After the event, I felt I always had people to go back to for help with anything I needed. I very much look forward to networking with genuine, driven and high-achieving individuals,” Herring said. “I would love to be a part of Michigan State University’s premier consulting group, where I could gain work experience and develop my business knowledge as a student.”

Applications for 2022-23 will open Spring 2022. To learn more about the Spectrum Consulting Group Scholarship Fund, visit spectconsulting.com.