Ilitch School awards record $850,000 in scholarships and awards John Latella with the 2024 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hall of Fame Award

On August 22, 2024, Ilitch School students who received a scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year gathered with scholarship donors in the Ilitch School atrium for breakfast before moving to the Lear Auditorium for a formal presentation of awards.

This year, approximately $850,000 in scholarships were awarded to over 170 students, the largest amount of scholarship dollars ever awarded in the school's 78-year history.

Dean Virginia Kleist opened the ceremony, and spoke about the generosity of the donors, and the opportunity they provide for Ilitch School students.

"I remain amazed and deeply grateful for the generosity and commitment of our Ilitch School donors," said Kleist, "It is their kindness and generosity that enable the success of this next generation of fascinating young people, lifting them up so that they will step into a world that they will own and fix and solve and repair - and improve and make better. And you are helping them by making their path a little bit easier along the way."

Dean Kleist also presented the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hall of Fame Award to John Latella '95, the former CEO of Garden Fresh, Founder of Legacy Fantasy Sports and a Principal of Latella Inc. He spoke about his own journey, which started at Wayne State, and about the importance of cultivating strong habits around work ethic.

"If you chase money for the sake of money alone, you find yourself running a race with no finish line," said Latella. "The impact you have on others is the measure of a life well lived."

These scholarships provide vital funds to students to help them pursue a lifechanging education at the Mike Ilitch School of Business. Learn more about the named scholarships available through the Ilitch School, and about how you can help provide support for a student pursuing their education, head to our scholarship page.