“Miss Christine” Abraham Cook Scholarship

Miss Christine" scholarship supports students who are interested in the performing arts

The family of a local dance teacher who passed away too soon have established a scholarship in her honor to encourage students who have an interest in the performing arts. Known to generations of dancers in Frankenmuth as simply “Miss Christine,” Christine Abraham Cook used her passion for art and dance to bulid her Dance Directions studio on a foundation of faith, grace, and love for dance and creative movement. She owned and operated the studio for over 30 years until her untimely passing in May, 2013 at the age of 57.

In her memory, her mother Ruth Abraham Baker and her daughters Erika and Elissa have established the “Miss Christine” Abraham Cook Scholarship Fund with the Frankenmuth Community Foundation. The primary purpose of the fund is to provide scholarship dollars for students who have an interest in the area of band, vocal, music, art or dance.
 
Her family, along with a talented team of teachers and volunteers, continues to operate Dance Directions and they remain dedicated to ensuring that Miss Christine’s philosophy remains intact. The dance studio is run as a ministry that not only fosters a deep love for dancing in its students, but also confidence, grace, good character, and the desire to encourage these values in others. 

Christine was a kind and patient woman who loved gardening, music and most of all, her dance students.

Frankenmuth Community Foundation Executive Director Stephen C. List added, “‘Miss Christine’ was well known in our area as a dedicated and caring teacher and we feel privileged to provide a link from her legacy to future generations of Frankenmuth performing arts students.”

Criteria for Selection:

1. The applicant must be a member of the current graduating class of the Frankenmuth School District High School for this one time scholarship amount which is non-renewable.
   
2. The primary area of interest that this scholarship seeks to support is for those students who have an interest in art or performing art in areas such as but not limited to band, vocal, music, or dance. If there are no students who meet this criteria then students who are interested in pursuing a degree(s) in creative design, horticulture, botany, landscape design or landscape architecture should be considered as candidates for the scholarship.
   
3. The applicant must be planning to attend a college, university, trade school or performing arts academy full time and seek an associates or bachelor degrees, and prior to distribution of the scholarship funds must be accepted and enrolled. The applicant that is chosen for the scholarship may have up to two years after learning of the award to request the funds be applied to the school in which they are accepted and enrolled.
   
4. The applicant must demonstrate academic skills by having a grade point during high school which is higher than 2.75 while taking courses generally regarded as college preparatory.
   
5. Selection shall also be based on financial need of the student for assistance with college costs.
   
6. The scholarship will be awarded without regard to sex, race, religion, place of birth, or personal handicap.
   
7. Other criteria as recommended by the Donor.