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Nouvel Catholic Central is proud of the impact our students make through their community service projects. These important efforts are connected to our core values and beliefs as a Catholic institution. It is our hope that service continues beyond graduation. Recently, two Nouvel alumni have done just that. Madison Velez (class of 2020) and Matthew Bartels (class of 2017) launched a scholarship fund to support women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. We want to ensure that the Nouvel community is aware of this effort so that you can join us in praying for the success of this endeavor.
While attending Nouvel Catholic Central, both students were active in Protect Life, as well as very involved as advocates during the annual March for Life initiative. “Protecting human lives is something that is so sacred and we felt that there was more that we could do,” shared Bartels. Velez and Bartels took their passion for the unborn, from the campus of Nouvel to the campus at Saginaw Valley State University. In addition to their role as SVSU students, they have also served as vice president and president, respectively, of the Protect Life SVSU group. They knew they wanted to do more and after much prayer, came up with the idea for the Hopeful Futures Scholarship.
The Hopeful Futures scholarship is designed to help women who experience an unplanned pregnancy to continue their pursuit of a higher education. “We thought, how can we do something so different that might help prevent the loss of an innocent life, or at the very least give a profound witness to the value of both the mother’s life as well as her baby’s life?” shared Velez.
Although Velez and Bartels didn’t quite know where to start, they turned to the support of the Diocese of Saginaw and then the Catholic Community Foundation of Mid-Michigan. An endowment was formally announced in January as part of the 9 Days for Life prayer campaign.
Community members have eagerly contributed to support this great effort. “The will of God and the Holy Spirit have truly helped guide us,” shared Bartels. “Each donation has been a blessing and we look forward to expanding this further and further.”
Nouvel Catholic Central is pleased to support the faith-centered, community service initiative, established by Madison Velez and Matthew Bartels. Each building leader has dedicated $500 from their respective principal’s discretionary budgets to support this important work. “As a Catholic school, we strive to provide an educational environment where students are empowered to put their faith into practice. I cannot think of a more worthwhile cause for our campus to get behind than the efforts that are being led by two of our incredible alumni. They serve as great role models for our students in respect to learning, loving and leading… courageously. We are so proud of Madison and Matthew and cannot thank them enough for their efforts,” shared NCCHS principal, Dan Decuf.
More information can be found online through the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw.
