Alan "Poppy" Workman & Steven Alan Workman

This fellowship was initiated by Alan “Poppy” Workman and his son,Steven Alan Workman, in honor of Kim "Schmidty"Schmidt ‘88 & ’00. The inspiration for this fellowship came from Alan and Steven and their family’s passion for supporting education. Alan and his wife Margaret were deeply committed to helping others succeed. They believed strongly in the importance of education. This belief was passed down to their five children as well, all five of whom earned graduate degrees.

Alan and Steven Workman had the idea to honor Kim by establishing a fellowship at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in her honor, beginning with a gift from Alan’s estate.Steven and Kim share a passion for (GVSU) athletics and Grand Valley as a whole. Kim is a double alumna of Grand Valley and has served on staff for over 25 years, having started her GVSU career in 1992. In her time as a student, alumna, and staff member, she has been a loyal supporter of, and advocate for, Grand Valley, especially the athletic programs. It is the desire of Steven and Kim that this fellowship will enable Grand Valley graduate athlete-students to start or continue their graduate work and power through it in a timely fashion.