News & Stories
From Scholarship Recipient to Community Champion
Over the course of three decades, we've awarded many scholarships to students pursuing educational opportunities after high school. One such recipient was Leah Bagdon McCallum, now owner and operator of Blue Orange Consulting, a place-based consulting firm serving the region.
Back in 1999, Leah was an Elk Rapids High School senior participating in the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and Thespian Society. She was also class president. At the time, Leah was preparing to pursue collegiate life at Michigan State University by applying for awards and scholarships.
“My family was so good to me–helping to pay for college,” recalled Leah. “But there was a gap, and these scholarships eased that burden. I was honored to be invited to apply for these awards, thrilled that my applications were selected, and comforted that I did something to help my family with college costs.”
After graduating, Leah went on to study at MSU, earning a degree in English and Journalism with a certificate to teach secondary education. In the years since receiving our scholarships, she has accomplished much, including having helped fundraise to build Northwestern Memorial’s Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, assisted the Detroit Zoo with a successful millage campaign targeting sustainability, and worked with Goodwill to raise funds in order to construct homes for homeless veterans. From those experiences, plus numerous others, Leah has arrived at her current position–founder of Blue Orange Consulting.
“Since launching in 2018, I have helped dozens of clients better tell their story, build relationships, and make great things possible for our community,” said Leah. “My tagline is ‘Helping People, Projects, and Places’–and I have done just that! Most notably, with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and the Northwest Michigan Community Development Coalition, which it convenes.”
From college-bound scholarship recipient to a fully-fledged business owner and dedicated community member, McCallum’s journey has come full circle.
Writer: Alex Dailey