IMPACT STORIES
“You must have a vision. Entrepreneurs see what other people walk past every day. If you do not see yourself as successful, if you do not see the possibility in the ordinary, then you cannot transform it into the extraordinary.”
– DR. WILLIAM PICKARD Entrepreneur and author, Dr. William Pickard
is encouraging Grand Valley State University students to do just that: transform themselves into the extraordinary. Sophomore Jaylene Salas, Class of 2019, is one of the first recipients of the Pickard Business Scholarship. Jaylene grew up in Detroit in a large family. Of her siblings, she is the first to move away from home for school. The idea of being so far from home scared her initially, but with support from the counselors, advisors, and tutors at Grand Valley, as well as her new donor, she happily found her place as the doors began to open. “This is my second year at Grand Valley,
and I just love it. I was surprised and filled with joy when I learned I had received the Pickard Business Scholarship. It is helping me pay for my tuition, and I just want to say a huge thank you to him.” In Dr. Pickard’s pursuit of a higher education, his friends, family, and community rallied behind him, supporting his first year at Western Michigan University. After his first year in college, he quickly realized how many doors were open to him when his vision began to unfold. He set his focus on a path of hard work and determination, and worked his way to becoming one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Michigan and beyond. Hard work and the support of his community, got him to where he is today. Pickard wants to give that same support to students and put them on a pathway to success. Some of Pickard’s greatest supporters are
GVSU’s founders. Rich DeVos, Bill Seidman, and Don Lubbers encouraged and supported him at the start of his business growth. It was Rich DeVos himself who encouraged Pickard to move into the automotive industry. Wanting to give back to those who helped him get his start in
4 | HORIZONS
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