Ma Pesch Foundation
Empowering STEM Students Through Education
Increasing the amount of love and trust in the world through education. Helping children achieve happiness by attaining their full potential through learning and STEM-based degrees.
Empowering STEM Students Through Education
Increasing the amount of love and trust in the world through education. Helping children achieve happiness by attaining their full potential through learning and STEM-based degrees.
Increase the amount of love and trust in the world through education.
Help children achieve happiness by attaining their full potential through learning. This starts with providing financial support to teenagers pursuing an education in STEM-based degrees.
Changing the world. Be a 'first follower' by joining our community and helping us make a difference in the lives of young STEM students.
Making love more important than things and money.
Investing in, and nurturing, society's youth.
Investing in future inventors and leaders.
Solve seemingly unsolvable problems through technology.
Young adults desire mentors and role models.
Trust starts by opening your heart to others, and looking beyond the seen.
Ma Pesch is the inspiration behind this foundation. The story starts in a small Midwestern town, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in the 1970s. It is the story of an individual, Ma (Robert) Pesch putting others before himself. The love in his heart inspired him to organize after-school basketball and baseball games for middle school children.
He earned the trust of the community through his kindness. He asked nothing in return. Many of the young adults he helped had parents that were busy trying to provide for their families, or did not have the financial means to pay for extracurricular activities.
Ma coached hundreds of central Wisconsin basketball and baseball grade school children. People in central Wisconsin often times run into adults in their 30's, 40's and 50's who were coached by Big Ma. Among those that Ma impacted include university basketball coaches, teachers, doctors, lawyers, real estate developers, and business owners.
Tom Laszewski established The Ma Pesch Foundation in 2017. With the theme of acting locally and thinking globally in mind, the foundation started in 2017 with two annual $2.5K awards to Winnacunnet High School and Stevens Point Area High School seniors.
The foundation included Walnut Ridge High School starting in 2022. The scholarships are awarded to individuals that are seeking a STEM degree, exhibit financial need, and have at least a 3.2 grade point average.
The Ma Pesch Foundation is headquartered in Northwest Arkansas in the town of Bella Vista. The headquarters is situated on the 11th tee box of Scotsdale Golf course, and directly across from the Little Sugar (Mountain Biking) Trails Trailhead - Scotsdale Drive.
Celebrating the students we've helped pursue their STEM dreams
| Name | Year | High School | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emily Larson | 2017 | Winnacunnet High School | Colorado School of Mines |
| Ezra Eckerson | 2017 | Stevens Point Area High School | University of Wisconsin - Madison |
| Daniel Mattson | 2018 | Winnacunnet High School | University of New Hampshire |
| Ally Jordens | 2018 | Stevens Point Area High School | University of Evansville |
| Melissa Rooney | 2019 | Winnacunnet High School | University of New Hampshire |
| Austin Stankowski | 2019 | Stevens Point Area High School | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point |
| Hannah Elizabeth Michael | 2020 | Winnacunnet High School | |
| Skylar Jenskow | 2020 | Stevens Point Area High School | |
| Brett Marelli | 2021 | Winnacunnet High School | Worcester Polytech |
| Andrew Bowling | 2021 | Stevens Point Area High School | |
| Savannah Andrews | 2022 | Walnut Ridge High School | |
| Tommi Heikkinen | 2022 | Stevens Point Area High School | |
| Lily Lewis | 2023 | Walnut Ridge High School | |
| Taigan Anderson | 2023 | Stevens Point Area High School | |
| Antonio Romero | 2024 | Walnut Ridge High School | Black River Technical College |
| Rylan Woytasik | 2024 | Stevens Point Area High School | University of Wisconsin - Madison, Kinesiology Major |
| Karlee Broadway | 2025 | Walnut Ridge High School | |
| Tyce Xiong | 2025 | Stevens Point Area High School | University of Wisconsin - Stout, Computer and Electrical Engineering Major |
| Pacelli High School | 2025 | Pacelli Annual Fund Raiser | NA |
Have questions or want to support our mission? We'd love to hear from you.
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