Grant Sienko

Upon learning that nearly 90 percent of Grand Valley State University graduates are working and giving back in Michigan, Grant Sienko decided to fund a new scholarship at the university. Sienko, who is the regional director for Windstream Communications in Grand Rapids, created both the The Windstream Enterprise Resource Planning Scholarship Fund and Academy Award. “All of our scholarships are need-based and anything I can do to help level the playing field is really important to me,” Sienko said.

He saw funding a scholarship with Grand Valley as a way of increasing the talent pool he needs to run his business effectively. “It really worked out well for the vision I have where if we’re nurturing and developing technology and business leaders that stay here, well that’s good for everybody,” Sienko said. “It’s great for me in terms of having talented people that I can recruit and hire.”

Sienko benefitted from scholarships during his time in college and wants to make sure that students today are able to receive financial assistance if needed. “At some point, someone’s got to look further down the road and realize that we’re making an investment and these people that we’re investing in are going to change our world. It’s going to happen a lot sooner than we realize.”