*Kalamazoo football player creates scholarship program to help students with costs beyond tuition*
Zonterio Weekley played football at Western Michigan University after graduating from Kalamazoo Central High School in 2019. Now he has created the Weekley Legacy Scholarship Rising Scholar Award to help Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates pay for costs the Kalamazoo Promise does not cover.
The scholarship is designed to bridge the gap between what the Kalamazoo Promise provides and the actual costs students face when attending college. While the Kalamazoo Promise covers up to 100 percent of tuition for eligible students, it does not pay for housing, textbooks, or other expenses.
Scholarship details and eligibility
The Weekley Legacy Scholarship will give 10 graduates in 2026. Two students will be selected from each of the following programs: Kalamazoo Central High School, Loy Norrix High School, Phoenix High School, the KPS Virtual Program, and the Kalamazoo Innovative Learning Program.
The scholarship is need-based. Recipients must also have participated in club activities, sports, after-school programs, community service, or have family responsibilities like child care that prevented them from participating in typical extracurricular activities.
Funds raised and scholarship amounts
As of January 2026, $7,000 has been raised for the scholarship program. The goal is to distribute $10,000 total. Individual scholarships will range from $200 to $1,500 depending on what the funds will be used for.
The application window opens February 5, 2026, with money to be awarded in June.
About the Kalamazoo Promise
The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship program that provides up to 100 percent tuition for post-secondary education to graduating seniors from Kalamazoo Public Schools who have attended the district since kindergarten. The program covers up to 145 credits of tuition and mandatory fees for in-state education.
However, the Promise does not cover room and board, books, supplies, transportation, or other costs that students must pay to attend college.
About Weekley
Zonterio Weekley is a Kalamazoo native who graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School and played football at Western Michigan University. He graduated in 2019 and returned to Kalamazoo to give back to his community.
The scholarship program aims to support students who still face financial barriers to completing their education even after receiving the Kalamazoo Promise.
More information
The Weekley Legacy Scholarship website is available at theweekleylegacyproject.org. The project provides scholarships to graduating seniors from Kalamazoo Central High School, Loy Norrix High School, Phoenix High School, and the Kalamazoo Innovative Learning Program.
Applications for the 2026 cohort will be available starting February 5, with awards to be given in June 2026.