Latest news with #MichelleRichard
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘It's not easy living with scleroderma': Raising awareness about a rare autoimmune disease
A Nova Scotia woman knows first-hand how tough it is to live with scleroderma. It's a condition referred to as the 'hard word disease.' While many people may have never heard of scleroderma, it impacts thousands of people. About one in 2,500 Canadians live with some form of the disease, including Michelle Richard from Nova Scotia. 'What it was like at the beginning was a whole lot different than what it's like today. So, in the beginning, I was quite ill with the disease, and so I think there was this almost a survival mode coming into that,' said Richard. 'I ended up on dialysis. There were a lot of issues, but slowly I started to recover from that and then adjusted to a new normal as a lot of us in our community say.' She was diagnosed 25 years ago, and at the time, she didn't think she would still be here today. 'You can have five to 10 years depending on the severity, and because I was quite severe, it was like, 'OK, well, get things in order,' but surprise! Here I am. I turned 60 and I'm grateful to have been able to reach that milestone,' she said. Scleroderma, which literally means hard skin, is a rare autoimmune disease that causes the body to produce too much collagen. 'It's very hard to describe,' said Scleroderma Atlantic president Jason Doucette. It can affect people of all ages, races, and gender, but it is more common in women between the ages of 30 and 50. 'It can be an invisible and it can be a visible disease,' said Doucette. 'Visibly you can have your digits or your fingers really crumpled up for example. You can have a tightened mouth, tightened skin, or it can be invisible. So, it can affect your internal organs, your kidneys, your heart, your lungs, all of that.' Doucette first got involved with Scleroderma Atlantic in 2013. His mother was initially diagnosed with Raynaud's phenomenon which further progressed to scleroderma. She passed away in 2012. 'After she passed away, I decided to look up the scleroderma organization and came to their first walk here in 2013, and I just loved the organization. It was a small community, and I just wanted to get involved and give back,' he said. June is Scleroderma Awareness Month, and Scleroderma Atlantic has been hosting its Make a Move fundraisers in cities across the region. 'It's not easy living with scleroderma, but June is a time for us to be able to come together, to connect and learn from each other,' said Doucette. Richard is grateful to have such a supportive community – one that is always ready to welcome more people. 'The Nova Scotia community has really developed, and we've been able to spread out to P.E.I. and New Brunswick and Newfoundland,' she said. 'We want people to know that we're here, and that you don't have to be alone. We're here. We'll help you, and we'll help you when you're ready.' Make a Move for Scleroderma takes place at DeWolf Park in Bedford, N.S., on Saturday. Organizers hope to raise $30,000. The money will go toward supporting the physical, mental and financial health of those living with the disease. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MiLEAP announces grants to support student success
LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential is accepting applications from colleges and universities for the next round of grants aimed at removing barriers to getting an education and improving graduation rates. They are part of a $45 million Student Success initiative, which MiLEAP said in a Friday release is 'the state's largest-ever grant program aimed at increasing student success rates' in higher education. The initiative will help the state achieve its Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or degree by 2030. 'To achieve Sixty by 30, we are focused on access and student success,' MiLEAP Deputy Director of Higher Education Michelle Richard said in a statement. 'The Student Success Grants encourage colleges to take a deep look at what's working and where they can improve. These grants equip institutions with the necessary funding to expand support services, offer direct assistance and develop innovative approaches to increase student success.' The Student Success Competitive Grant Opportunities guide lays out the different categories of grants that will be available in 2025: barrier removal for students, barrier removal for growing a college's capacity and college success. Applications are due between April and June, depending on what type of grant is being sought. MiLEAP will host online office hours to assist grant applicants every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. starting Feb. 18. Office hours to assist grant recipients will be every Thursday starting on Feb. 20 from noon to 1 p.m. Click here to learn more about the Sixty by 30 grants. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
11-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
FAFSA participation among high school seniors gets boost with state of Michigan grants
(CBS DETROIT) - Several southeast Michigan school districts and academies have won state funds toward getting more high school seniors to fill out college financial aid applications. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, is the required document for a long list of college financial assistance programs such as work-study, state grants, federal student loans and some scholarships. To stay ahead of award deadlines, students and their parents need to fill out the FAFSA several months before each academic year begins in the fall. About half of high school seniors across the country typically fill out that paperwork; a new version of the process launched ahead of the current academic year. Michigan does not have a statewide requirement that high school seniors submit this application, but about a dozen other states do. Instead, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential announced Challenge Award funds to districts that take specific steps to get more students through the process. The money is based on number of high school seniors at the participating schools. The money is to be used on speakers, checklists, events and related activities meant to encourage students to complete the application and consider their next education steps. The rules do allow students to exempt from completing FAFSA under specific circumstances. "Every student should have the opportunity to pursue their educational and career dreams regardless of how much money is in their pocket," said Michelle Richard, deputy director of Higher Education at MiLEAP. "By participating in the Universal FAFSA Challenge, these districts are ensuring every one of their graduates has the information they need to make informed decisions about their futures. Completing the FAFSA is the key to unlocking essential funding opportunities, and we are proud to support these districts in their efforts." Of the 75 districts and academies on this year's award list, several are from southeast Michigan. Those schools, and the state funds awarded from this program, are as follows: Ann Arbor Public Schools, $1,126,444.77. Dearborn City School District, $1,293,149.07. Hamtramck, School District of the City of, $208,777.29. Hartland Consolidated Schools, $357,223.50. Kensington Woods Schools, $15,082.77. Lakeview Public Schools (Macomb), $282,603.48. Lenawee ISD, $4,762.98. Summerfield Schools, $30,165.54. University Preparatory Academy (PSAD), $109,548.54. University Preparatory Art & Design, $96,053.43. University Preparatory Science and Math (PSAD), $80,970.66. West Bloomfield School District, $415,966.92.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
7 West Michigan school districts get funding for FAFSA awareness
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential has announced to help students across the state complete the process and receive financial aid for college and occupational training courses. The money will be split among 75 school districts, including seven in West Michigan. The program is called the Universal Free Application for Federal Student Aid Challenge. Grandville students compete, raise funds in 'Senior Survivor' challenge MiLEAP says the program will make students and families more aware of the help that is available and encourage more students to continue their education beyond high school. 'This funding reinforces MiLEAP's commitment to ensuring that every learner has the tools and resources they need to succeed,' MiLEAP Director Beverly Walker-Griffea said in a statement. 'By insuring FAFSA completion rates, we are creating more affordable pathways to higher education opportunities so more Michiganders can earn a college degree or skill certificate and go on to thrive right here in Michigan.' The FAFSA process is also necessary for students to access state scholarships, including the and the state's , which offers up to $27,500 toward a degree or skill certificate. 'Every student should have the opportunity to pursue their educational and career dreams regardless of how much money is in their pocket,' Michelle Richard, the MiLEAP deputy director of higher education, stated. 'By participating in the Universal FAFSA Challenge, these districts are ensuring every one of their graduates has the information they need to make informed decisions about their futures.' GRPS 'encouraged' by education dollars in Whitmer's budget proposal Seven districts from West Michigan will take part in the program: Belding Area School District: $112,723 Byron Center Public Schools: $282,603 Carson City-Crystal Area Schools: $58,743 Hudsonville Public School District: $435,018 Kentwood Public Schools: $562,031 Oakridge Public Schools: $90,496 Orchard View Schools: $126,218 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
