Arcadia owner Tim Suprise stands with scholarship winner Ellie Maddelein and brewer Colt Dykstra.
May 23, 2018
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A student in Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s joint sustainable brewing program is the first to receive a scholarship in support of women in the industry from Arcadia Brewing Company.
Ellie Maddelein, of Naperville, Ill., will receive the scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year in recognition of her successful performance in the rigorous sustainable brewing curriculum. Maddelein, who will enter her junior year in the fall, is earning an Associate of Science at KVCC as well as a Bachelor of Science in sustainable brewing at WMU.
Support for sustainable brewing scholarships is provided by companies and individuals to strengthen the educational ties between WMU, KVCC and the brewing industry. This award is specifically provided by Arcadia, a longtime leader in the West Michigan craft beer community, to further enhance career and learning opportunities for women in brewing.
Arcadia inaugurated the scholarship fund in 2017 as part of its annual Arcadia Ales Classic golf outing. A portion of the proceeds from the 4th annual event, which took place last September at Moors Golf Club in Portage, were used to establish scholarships for students in the institutions’ joint sustainable brewing program.
Maddelein
“It is such an honor to receive this award,” Maddelein says. “Recognition in the industry, especially as a woman, is incredible.”
Maddelein chose to pursue a degree in sustainable brewing after visiting a brewery in Oregon with her family. “That experience of seeing the brewery, spending time there and tasting left a positive impression on me,” she says.
“After figuring out I could be a part of this fantastic industry by joining Western’s program and that I could do something that really interested me, I knew it was the degree for me. I cannot wait to continue forward in my education and career. Having support like this is very appreciated and motivating.”
Future scholarships
Arcadia plans to award the scholarship to WMU and KVCC students once again following the 2018 Arcadia Ales Classic. This year’s golf outing takes place Monday, Sept. 24 at Moors Golf Club once again. More information will be available soon at arcadiaales.com.
About sustainable brewing
The WMU and KVCC sustainable brewing program was developed in full partnership between the two institutions working in close coordination with industry leaders. The resulting program offers students the opportunity to earn a certificate or full associate’s degree at KVCC and transfer them into a Bachelor of Science program at WMU that marries industry art and science with WMU’s national reputation in sustainability.
The rigorous science curriculum addresses some of the industry’s most pressing issues and was developed with input from an external advisory board representing many of Michigan’s top breweries. Through a truly interdisciplinary curriculum built on partnerships and collaboration, students graduate with a solid foundation in science and with problem-solving skills that can be applied to a range of employment opportunities in the brewing industry, in supporting industries, or in other food-related enterprises.
For more information about the degree, visit wmich.edu/brewing.