Ten players awarded Ilitch Charities college scholarships at annual luncheon

The Ilitch Charities scholarship winners pose with Ken Daniels and Ken Kal. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Bracha/Ilitch Charities)

 

By Michael Caples –

On July 12, Ilitch Charities hosted their annual college scholarship luncheon to honor another group of hockey players who excelled both on the ice and in the classroom.

Ten players who competed in the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League or the High Performance Hockey League were awarded $2,500 each from the charitable foundation to assist them in college.

“Today, we gather to celebrate the outstanding achievements of ten special young people who have excelled beyond the ranks, both academically and athletically,” said Ken Daniels, who served as emcee for the event. “Ilitch Charities is honored to award these outstanding student athletes in the Little Caesars youth hockey programs with scholarships to the college or university of their choice.”

This year’s scholarship recipients are:

Marne Gallant (Grosse Pointe Woods): Gallant, a Grosse Pointe North graduate, won state titles with Little Caesars in 2011 and 2012. She will attend Bowdoin College in Maine to pursue both a collegiate hockey career, and to study either law or business, before furthering her education in a graduate program.

Joseph Hubble (Westland): Hubble, a graduate of John Glenn High School, also played varsity football and bowling during his high school athletic career. He plans on attending Eastern Michigan University next fall to study athletic traning, and hopes to continue playing hockey, as well.

James Kristofik (Farmington Hills): Kristofik graduated from Detroit Catholic Central, and he will be enrolling in Michigan Tech next fall. He will join his older brother, Joseph, who also won an Ilitch Charities college scholarship, in Houghton, and pursue a degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in music or law. Kristofik hopes to one day attend medical school or law school to become a radiologist or a patent attorney.

Andrew Lubera (Grosse Pointe Woods): Lubera graduated from De La Salle Collegiate with a remarkable 4.45 grade-point average. He will attend Notre Dame next fall to study engineering and business. Along with hockey, Lubera earned his varsity letter in swimming and tennis, and participated in the Science Olympiad. He plans to get his master’s degree in engineering or an MBA at some point, as well.

Sarah Shureb (Livonia): A Stevenson High School graduate, Shureb plans to continue her hockey career at Adrian College this upcoming season. She was a member of the state championship Little Caesars teams with Gallant, and she hopes to one day coach a women’s college hockey team. Shureb will major in sports management and business at Adrian.

Kyle Skillman (Northville): Skillman graduated from Northville High School after playing varsity football and baseball during his time away from the rink. He plans on majoring in business at Grand Valley State University next fall, and he hopes to one day coach his own youth hockey team.

Cassidy Tucker (Plymouth): A graduate of Canton High School with a 3.9 GPA, Tucker will be playing Division 1 hockey at Princeton University next fall. The captain of the 2012-13 Little Caesars 19U team will major in economics and English in hopes of one day starting her own hockey-related business.

Jenna Trubiano (Chesterfield): Trubiano graduated from Anchor Bay High School with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She will be attending the University of Michigan to major in sports management. Trubiano hopes to continue skating with the Little Caesars program to help her continue her hockey career, as well.

Scott Kardel (Canton): Kardel, who missed the luncheon because he is doing mission work in the Bahamas, is a graduate of Trinity Christian High School. He plans on attending Eastern Michigan University next fall. Kardel’s volunteering has inspired him to study language overseas and continue with mission work.

Saville Pickar (Lynnwood, Wash.): Pickar spent a year away from home to develop her hockey skills with the Little Caesars AAA program. She attended Saline High School during her stay in the Mitten, and won numerous athletic and academic awards over the past year. Pickar will attend Lindenwood University next fall to play Division 1 hockey and study elementary education.